


Rise by Sin, by Virtue Fall

by coldflashwavebaby



Series: For worse or for better, we belong together [2]
Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV), The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Age Difference, Canon-Typical Violence, Domestic Bliss, Kidcold, M/M, Married Life, Multi, Obsession, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Protective Barry Allen, Protective Leonard Snart, Savitar isn't who he was in canon, Sexual Content, Speed Force
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-23
Updated: 2017-11-11
Packaged: 2018-12-05 23:11:25
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 24,866
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11588109
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/coldflashwavebaby/pseuds/coldflashwavebaby
Summary: He winked as he took a drink from his beer. A socked foot snuck up the bottom of his pant leg.Mick’s stomach flipped. He loved being married. “I like the sound of that.”After dinner, he’d get Ginny to contact the Waverider and get the Legends to come back. Then, he and Barry were going to finish what they’d started that morning. In that moment, everything was perfect.He didn’t know that it would be the last worry-free evening they would get.





	1. We belong to the sound of the words we've both fallen under

**Author's Note:**

> Here it is! The beginning of my promised sequel!
> 
> FYI-- I will be updating ONCE A WEEK, EVERY SUNDAY. Not everyday, like before. (I have school now, so not as much time to write). 
> 
> A special thanks to asexual-fandom-queen for reading over this and helping me write, and a very special thanks to my artists and beta!

            The water tickled Barry’s toes as he stretched out over the sand, moaning contently.

            Anyone who said Paris was the best place for a honeymoon, never took a trip through time. For eight weeks, they’d flitted around the timestream, going wherever their hearts took them.

            First, they stopped in 1870 to meet Jules Verne, Barry’s first choice. He had gotten so excited, Mick had to drag him away from the author before he got himself arrested.

            Mick’s choice was, surprisingly, Nashvillle 1956. He wanted to see Johnny Cash’s debut at the Grand Ole Opry, something his grandma told him that she’d wanted to see, but hadn’t been able to.

            Barry chose the Old West next. Mick was less than impressed.

“I’ve been twice.” He grunted. “The bar fights are the best parts.”

            They actually did get in one of those, but it ended with Barry flashing them out before the sheriff could arrest them.

            Mick’s next choice was a gladiator fight in Rome. He loved the violence of it all, while Barry enjoyed the sights.

            After that, it was the late Jurassic Period, the Great Fire of London, meeting Shakespeare, and Pompeii, before they finally ended up in Aruba, 100 B.C. There was no one around—the earliest tribes wouldn’t be arriving until 1000 A.D, leaving the entire island to Mick and Barry. Which, Mick took as an invitation for them to wear clothes as little as possible. Like right then.

            A hot kiss wet his chest. He hummed. “Mick…”

            His husband chuckled, kissing down to his abs. “You fallin’ asleep on me, Doll?”

            Barry opened an eye, a smirk on his lips. “After the way you just wore me out? I’m lucky I’m not passed out from exhaustion.”

            He pushed himself up to a sitting position. Mick sucked his teeth in disappointment, but Barry needed a shower. Sex on the beach sounds sexy and fun, but just like anything you do on the beach, sand gets into all kinds of uncomfortable places.

            Now he understood Anakin Skywalker.

            “Come on.” He urged Mick up, hissing at the burn from their activities. Mick gave him a shit-eating grin. “We need to wash all this sand off.”

            That got Mick’s attention. “Like, getting a shower?”

            Barry nodded, trying to bite back a shit-eating grin of his own. He turned towards the _Aeon_ , parked only a few yards away. “You could join me, if you want. Or you could…stay out here on the beach.”

            He started walking towards the ship, laughing when he heard Mick scramble to his feet and run up behind him. His laughter grew when Mick scooped him up into his arms, carrying him the rest of the way.

            It was strange, how happy it all made him. Being loved so unconditionally, having someone around who would always be by his side, would never give up on him. And to think it was Mick Rory of all people.

            But Barry had known what kind of person he was since he stood in the street with him on the worst night of his life. He’d always known how trustworthy his now-husband was. And he’d always loved him.

            He would always love him.      

0000000

            A few hours later, Barry was sitting on the bridge, his boxers and Mick’s oversized and slightly singed shirt on, checking their messages. Ginny had been acting as a messenger between S.T.A.R Labs, the Waverider, and the _Aeon_ since they left, and every few days, they would get a message from Team Flash or the Legends, updating them.

            The Legends had been busy, according to Leonard. After meeting his criminal hero, Al Capone, and nearly getting killed by Malcolm Merlyn, Damian Darhk, and some mysterious speedster, they found Rip, who had zero memory of who he was and was going to film school with George Lucas. Also, they made George Lucas quit film school, had to fix it, and Rip was taken by the speedster.

            “Hey,” he called when Mick walked in, still wearing nothing, “why didn’t you tell me that you were all going against a speedster?”

            Mick shrugged. “Didn’t seem important. We were all busy with aliens, and just because you’re a speedster, doesn’t mean you know every one of them.”

            “True,” Barry agreed, “but I _do_ know that a certain evil speedster is loose because of Flashpoint, and, from what Leonard has been saying about the level of planning these guys are using, it could definitely be Eobard Thawne.”

            Mick’s eyes widened. “Reverse Flash is running through time, siding with Nazis and trying to kill Rip Hunter?”

            Barry tilted his head. “I mean, he stalked me for fifteen years, trained me to be the Flash, and then turned it all against me. He’s a strategist, who’s definitely done stranger things to further his goals.”

            The thought of Eobard Thawne being free because of him made his skin crawl. He didn’t even think about Thawne after Flashpoint, but now…

            And he knew about Mick. What if he decided that he wanted revenge again? What if he tried to kill Mick to get to him? What if he took him, like he took Eddie from Iris?

            “Hey.” Mick took his chin and raised his head so they were staring into each other’s eyes. “Thawne isn’t your fault. He’s a manipulative douchebag, and I’m going to send the Legends a message that he’s still around so they can kick his ass, all right?”

            He pressed a kiss to Barry’s lips. Barry melted. He was safe. Thawne couldn’t hurt them. He had his own problems, and the Legends would stop him soon enough.

            He exhaled when Mick pulled back. “I’ll send that message now, calm your nerves.”

            Barry smiled and nodded. “Is it going to be a holomessage?” he asked as Mick stepped away. “Because, if it is, you might want to put on some pants.”

            “And deny them all this?” Mick gestured to himself. “Never.”

            Barry laughed, returning to his messages as Mick walked out to record his. There was one more—a message from Iris, marked URGENT.

            _“Barry.”_ Her voice said over the speakers. She sounded panicked. _“Sorry to interrupt your honeymoon, but something’s going on with Wally. He’s been acting strange ever since Christmas. He’s been nervous and jumpy, and I can tell he’s keeping something from us. At first, I was just going to let him wait until he was ready to talk but… There was a man called Jared Morillo we dealt with last week. It shouldn’t have been hard—he was just a man with advanced weaponry who’d been robbing jewelry stores. But Wally…he froze when he faced him. If Jay hadn’t stuck around and given him a hand…Barry, I’m worried about him. He won’t talk to any of us, and I’m scared he’s going to get himself hurt. I just…We need you back.”_

Something was up with Wally. Was it Dr. Alchemy? Was it his powers? Were there side effects they didn’t know about? He clenched his fists and took a deep breath.

Wally was family. If he needed Barry’s help, he was going to get it. The honeymoon was over.

 


	2. Til your dream appears, you belong to me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's a day early, but I have a due date tomorrow for my class, so here you go :)

_“Please…please don’t…”_

_Wally’s legs were broken. He was laid out with the Legends’ dead bodies. All he could do is stare helplessly as Savitar held Barry up by his collar. Barry was beaten and broken. There was so little fight left in him, but he still could turn his head to look at Wally._

_“Don’t let him hurt Mick, Wally. Don’t let him take him.”_

_“Barry…” he sobbed. “Don’t kill Barry. Kill me instead! Please!”_

_But Savitar ignored him. “After tonight,” he raised his blade, “my revenge on the Flash will be complete.”_

_Then, the blade was driven through Barry’s heart. Wally screamed as Savitar dropped the body, and he crawled over as hard and fast as he could. “No…no, please Barry, don’t…”_

_Barry’s eyes were closed, his face slack like he was sleeping, instead of a lifeless corpse. “Barry, wake up. Please don’t be dead. It can’t end like this. You can’t die like this, please!”_

_He closed his eyes, fat tears falling from his eyes. His brother was dead._

_Suddenly, a hand grabbed his wrist. He shouted, unable to look away as Barry’s eyes snapped open to stare blankly into his._

_“Why didn’t you save me, Wally?” The grip on his wrist tightened. “Wasn’t I important enough? Don’t you care about me enough? Or do you want it all to yourself?”_

Wally shot up, barely holding in the scream that clawed its way into his throat. He was at the kitchen table. He’d fallen asleep doing homework again. His books were strewn out in front of him, the paper he’d been writing was plastered to his drool-soaked cheek, and his heart was racing a mile a minute. It was just another nightmare. Another horrid vision of the future he’d been shown.

            Jay told him that the future may not happen how he saw it. Barry could still be alive in the future. Something in Wally’s gut, though, told him that was wrong. The Speed Force took him into the future for a reason. They _wanted_ him to see Barry die, to help save him.

            His future self hadn’t even been in the square, though.

            Was that why Barry died? Did he need to be there to save him? But the Legends had been there, and Savitar had mowed through them like they were nothing. Maybe it had to do with Leonard? He hadn’t been there, and his gun would’ve probably slowed Savitar down.

            Wally ran a hand down his face. He needed to save Barry. Barry had done so much, saved him and their family in so many ways. If he couldn’t save him, what kind of hero was he really? 

            He sighed, slamming his book closed. He wasn’t going to be able to focus on it anyway. All he could think about was Mick begging for Barry’s life, Savitar running the sword through Barry’s chest, Mick being plucked up like he was nothing and carried away.

            His phone lit up. He checked the time: 11am. There was a text message under it from Iris, asking him to come to the lab. She’d been on his case for weeks, checking on him and mothering him. She’d been even worse since Jay had saved him from Plunder. But all he could think about was the man’s mugshot on the news report from the future, about his trial after being apprehended. What if, by catching Plunder, they made sure that that future happened?

            It was too late now, though. Jared Morillo was locked up in Iron Heights. The future was in motion. As far as he knew, Barry was going to die on May 16th.

            He couldn’t tell Iris that, though. No one knew about his trip to the future, except Jay. He didn’t want to ruin their present with knowledge of the future. But it was taking its toll on him, he could feel it. Everything felt heavier, he was sleepier, the nightmares happened every time he closed his eyes…

            He stood up and grabbed his jacket off the floor. There was a way to save Barry. There had to be. He would do anything to stop that future from happening. Even if it killed him.

0000000

            It was nice to be home. Mick hadn’t had a home since he was a kid—he’d jumped from town to town, from ratty motel to rundown safehouse. The closest he’d had as an adult was the Waverider, but it had never really been a home.

            Being back at the farmhouse with Barry, though…All of that warmth he associated with _‘love’_ and _‘home’_ and _‘family’_.

            _“Welcome home.”_ Ginny greeted as Mick pushed open the kitchen door.

            Barry grinned as he stepped inside. “Thanks, Ginny.”

            _“How was your honeymoon?”_

Mick closed the door behind them with a snort. “It was great until everyone decided the world would fall apart without the Flash.” He headed for the fridge, which was stocked with his favorite beer. He grabbed two, handing one to Barry as he stepped up beside him.

            Barry sighed deeply, his eyes falling shut. He didn’t seem stressed, more…content. Like there was nowhere he’d rather be. “I had fun, but I’m glad we’re home.”

            Home. _Their_ home. This was where they were going to make a life together—cook dinner every night, eat together, curl up on the couch, fall asleep in each other’s arms, eventually build a family. He stepped into his husband’s space and kissed him deeply.

            “I’m glad you’re here with me.”

            Barry smiled against his lips. “I love you.” he pecked Mick’s lips. “Are you going to tell the Legends you’re back, or…?”

            Mick scrunched his nose. He hadn’t been planning on it. After all the shit time travel put him through, he just wanted to settle in 2017 with his husband. “I was thinking of hanging around here for a while.” He answered, slipping his arms around Barry’s waist. “Get used to married life. If those losers can’t deal with two washed up assassins and a speedster, they know how to call.”

            Barry’s hands slipped up his shirt, his palms stroking the warm skin of his stomach. “Y’know, we just got home.” he hummed. “It would be a shame to leave right now without spending some more quality time with my husband.”

            With a smirk, Mick pushed Barry against the fridge, his hands dipping into the back of his pants. “What do you have in mind?”

            Barry bit his lip, and all of the blood rushed from Mick’s head. Suddenly, a shock went through his body.

            “Ow!”

            “Dammit!”

            They jumped apart, both twitching from the shock of pain. “Ginny!” Mick growled.

            _“I apologize for the violent measures,”_ Ginny said, not sounding sorry at all. _“But I did warn you both against fornication in the kitchen and eating areas. It’s unsanitary.”_

Mick was ready to rip her circuits out, but Barry just laughed. “Hey.” He stepped back into Mick’s space and cupped his cheek. “It’s alright. That still leaves a lot more house for ‘fornication’. But,” he pecked his husband’s lips again, “for now, I need to head to S.T.A.R Labs. You want to tag along?”

            He would’ve rather dragged Barry upstairs and made S.T.A.R Labs wait until tomorrow. But that didn’t seem like it was going to happen, so he shook his head. “Nah. You go on, help your friends. I’ll have dinner on the table when you get back.”

            Barry sighed happily. “What did I do to deserve the perfect husband?”

            Mick chuckled. “I was gonna say the same thing.”

            They kissed one more time before Barry flashed out of the house, leaving Mick and Ginny alone. He put Barry’s beer back in the fridge and carried his into the living room. They needed a porch swing, he decided. A big one. And a couple of rocking chairs. That way, they could sit outside and enjoy the weather.

            He fell back on the couch. He’d get to it later.

0000000

            When Barry skidded to a stop inside the cortex, he was surprised to find Julian standing with the others, not even flinching at Barry’s superspeed. “Man, you guys told him I’m the Flash?”

            Caitlin, Cisco, Wally, and Iris all ignored his complaint, greeting him instead.

            “Hey, Bare,” Cisco grinned, pulling his best friend into a hug. “How was the honeymoon?”

            “Great,” He replied, moving on to hug Iris. “How are things?”

            She sighed, glancing back at the others. “The same.” she whispered in response. “Thank you for coming. They don’t know I called.”

            He nodded, moving on to Caitlin. “No more alien attacks?” he joked. “Or descents into supervillainy while I was gone?”

            She laughed. “Surprisingly, the world has been turning just fine. I’m glad you enjoyed yourself.”

            When Barry turned to Wally, he paused. His foster brother was…strangely quiet. His smile was forced, his shoulders tensed, and Barry could tell he was carrying a heavy weight on his shoulders. “Hey, Wally.” He threw an arm over his shoulder. “You okay?”

            Instead of returning the one armed hug, Wally wrapped both arms around Barry’s waist and yanked him into a tight hug. “Yeah.” he said into his shoulder. “I just…I missed you. You didn’t have to come back so soon, y’know? You and Mick could’ve done more time traveling.”

            Barry struggled out a laugh. “Trying to get rid of me? Was being the Flash that great?”

            Wally quickly pulled back, shaking his head. “No…no! I love having you here. You’re my brother; we’re family! I just want you happy and think you should spend more time being all married and stuff.”

            Barry could see why Iris was worried. He was rambling, a bit twitchy, and he wouldn’t meet Barry’s eye.

            Cisco cleared his throat. “Dude, are you gonna tell him the news?”

            Wally swallowed hard. “Oh, yeah. We defeated Alchemy and trapped S-savitar in the Speed Force while you were gone.”

            Barry’s jaw dropped. “You’re kidding? Why didn’t you guys call me? I could’ve helped!”

            “We had it under control,” Cisco assured. “Jay stopped by to help, Alchemy was Julian being mind-controlled, and all we had to do was throw a stone in the Speed Force. It was easy.”

            Then why did Wally look so scared? Why did he stutter over Savitar’s name? What was he hiding?

            “Wally, are you sure you’re okay?”

            The younger speedster nodded almost violently. “Yeah, yeah, I’m cool. I’m just glad to see you here, Bare.”

            Barry didn’t believe it for a minute. But he knew that he wouldn’t get whatever it was out of Wally He laid a hand on his foster brother’s shoulder. “So, how’s S.T.A.R Labs been since I’ve been gone?”


	3. The war outside our door keeps raging on

            Horribly. That’s how S.T.A.R Labs was doing. HR was trying to turn the public areas into an interactive museum. Why not just open a Flash Museum while they were at it?

            He’d been putting an awful lot of planning and work into it, though, which he went into extensive detail about when Barry asked him.

            “Anyway, BA,” HR grinned, “the grand opening party is tomorrow night. I had been planning to push it back for when you and the new mister came back, but it looks like it all worked out. You’re going to be there, right?”

            One difference between their past two Harrison Wells’ and HR, Barry was starting to figure out, was that HR had a way of making you feel really bad about saying no. His eyes widened, and he looked so hopeful and bright…

            He groaned. “I…I’ll ask Mick tonight if he wants to stop by.”

            HR’s smile grew. “Ooo, ooo, and see if some of your other friends will drop by—Mr. Garrick will be there, but we’d love to have your mayor friend from Star City, and your time travel pirate friends.”

            “They’re not pi—” Barry paused, considering his argument. “I actually don’t have a good defense for that. I’ll make some calls and see if they’re busy.”

            He didn’t expect HR to throw his arms around him in a hug. Yeah, things were definitely different with this Harrison Wells. When he pulled back, Barry gave him a strained smile. He turned to leave, but a thought occurred to him.

            “Hey, HR,” he spoke up, “has Wally come to you to talk about anything?”

            HR’s eyes widened, like the question surprised him. “Aside from his speed problems? No, Wallace has been keeping to himself since his little pop into the Speed Force with Mr. Garrick.”

            Barry nodded, disappointed. “So, you’ve noticed him acting strange, too?”

            HR just shrugged. “I wouldn’t think too hard on it, BA. It’s conceivable our dear Wallace is merely feeling the weight of superheroism and is in need of some stress relief. I suggest yoga. Ooo, or Pilates is nice.”

            Barry sighed. Of everyone at S.T.A.R, he thought that Wally would’ve talked to HR, at least. He headed out of Cisco’s workshop, deciding to head to the precinct. There was someone else who needed to know he was back.

0000000

            The bull pen was buzzing when Barry stepped off the elevator. With Plunder locked away, there was a lot of work for the precinct to catch up on after their manhunt. He headed in towards Joe’s desk, where the detective was flipping through files.

            “Just leave the files on my desk,” Joe ordered, not looking up when Barry stepped up beside him. “I’ll look at them later.”

            “Wow, and here I thought I quit the CCPD.”

            Joe’s head snapped up, a wide grin on his face. “Bare!” He wrapped his arms around his son. “You’re back. We weren’t expecting you for another week or so.”

            “We decided to come back early.” Barry answered. He wasn’t sure if Iris had told anyone she called, but he wasn’t about to rat her out.

            “Everything okay with you two?”

Barry knew what Joe was thinking, but he just smiled and sighed happily. “Nah, things are…they’re so great, Joe. You would not believe how great they are.”

With a nod, Joe closed the file he’d been reading and grabbed his coat. “I’ll take that challenge. You and I are going out to lunch, and you’re going to tell me all about your trip and how ‘great’ it all is.”

            Barry raised an eyebrow. “ _All_ about it?”

            Joe’s face scrunched. “Everything I want to hear about my son and his criminal husband.”

            Barry grinned as he followed his foster father out of the precinct and into his car. They went to their usual place—Big Belly Burger—and took their usual booth in the back corner of the restaurant.

            “So,” Joe started, once they were seated with three trays of fries and burgers and two chocolate milkshakes. “Time traveling. Where all did you go?”

            Barry excitedly broke down their entire trip, leaving out certain details—the almost arrests, the bar fights, the public ‘activities’ they may have done when they were feeling particularly frisky. His face lit up when Barry mentioned Johnny Cash. He laughed when Barry brought up the baby brontosaurus in the Jurassic period who thought Mick was its mother and followed him around. He shook his head when Barry told him about the gladiator fights in Rome.

            “Sounds like you had a great time, Bare.” he said once Barry finished. “You look really happy.”

            Barry smiled. “I’m sorry that the whole thing with Mick kind of blindsided you.”

            Joe widened his eyes. “Yeah, it was a shock. I definitely didn’t see you and Heatwave coming. But, I see how much he loves you, and how much you love him. That’s why I gave him my blessing. Not that I think he really cared.”

            “No.” Barry laughed. “Not really, but _I_ appreciate it. I promise one day, when we have a lot of time, Mick and I will sit you down and tell you the whole story.”

            Joe smiled back gratefully. Something nagged at Barry’s mind though. “By the way, have you noticed something up with Wally? He was really jumpy when I stopped by S.T.A.R Labs earlier.”

            “Now that you mention it,” Joe replied thoughtfully, “he’s been acting strange for a while. After he and Jay got rid of the stone, they hung around in the particle accelerator for a few minutes. I went down to check on them, and Wally looked like he was getting over a panic. When I asked about it, he said he was fine, but it’s been eating at me.”

            Barry frowned. “What do you think it is?”

            Joe shrugged. “Something to do with the Speed Force and Savitar. Other than that, I’m as far in the dark as you are.”

            Barry slouched in his seat and sighed. “That’s what I was afraid of.”

            Their conversation turned back to Barry’s marriage after that. Joe invited him and Mick to family night, which Barry accepted, and Barry told him that he, Iris, and Wally would have to come by to eat at their house one night.

            An hour later, Joe headed back to the precinct, and Barry flashed back to S.T.A.R Labs. He needed to run some laps in the Speed Lab.

            He froze in the doorway when he saw Wally sitting on the floor of the lab, his head in his hands. He looked like a scared, little kid, and Barry just wanted to help. He walked in quietly and sat beside him.

            “Hey, Wally.”

            His foster brother raised his head, a relieved, yet sad smile on his lips. “Hey, Bare.” He quickly straightened. His smile grew, too plastic and forced. It made Barry a little sick. “Whatcha doing down here?”

            “Thought I’d go for a run,” Barry answered truthfully. Then, he remembered. “But, I’m glad you’re here. I forgot to give you something.”

            He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a sharp, thin piece of bone about three inches long. “This is an Allosaurus tooth. She lost it trying to eat the _Aeon_ in the late Jurassic period. I thought you would like it. Especially because it is now the youngest dinosaur tooth in existence.”

            Wally’s face lit up as he snagged the tooth out of Barry’s hand. Everyone liked dinosaurs. Barry was happy to see Wally smile so brightly.

            “Thanks, Bare. I love it.”

            Barry smiled back. “You’re welcome. I gotta watch out for my brother.”

            He immediately knew he’d said something wrong, because the smile slipped off Wally’s face, and his fingers started trembling. “Wally?” He slowly laid a hand on his foster brother’s arm. “Wally? What’s going on with you? You’ve seemed sad and…kind of heavy since I got here. Maybe,” definitely, “before that. You can talk to me about it, you know? If it’s normal or Flash related or whatever, I’m here for you.”

            Wally nodded. “I know, Bare. It’s not that, it’s just…”

            But whatever Wally was going to say was cut off by HR, dramatically entering the room. “Ooo, have I interrupted something?” He flinched. “I just need to borrow Wallace for some help with the grand opening tomorrow. He’s been helping make sure it’ll be a grand success!”

            Wally jumped to his feet. “Yeah, I’ll help. Thanks for the dino tooth, Barry.” He sent one last, small smile Barry’s way before following HR out of the room. Barry’s head fell back with a groan. He almost got it out of him. He almost knew the truth.

            He pushed himself to his feet, ready to start that run. He needed it even more than he had before.

           


	4. My beloved monster and me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WHAT? TWO UPDATES IN LESS THAN 24 HOURS? 
> 
> Yes, because I am an inconsistent person. I think a lot of people felt jipped by the last chapter, so here's some more Mick and Barry (next chapter, we start REALLY getting into the story, and the chapter after that has smut, so please stay interested! Between commissions and school, I'm having to cut things, and I don't want this story to be one of those things! But, if no one is reading it, I might have to :( So, please, let me know if you're still reading!!!!!)

            Mick was turning the heat down on the stovetop when he heard the front door open. A breeze blew through the room, and warm arms wrapped around his waist.

            “Hello, husband.” Barry kissed his cheek. “I missed you today.”

            A grin pulled Mick’s lips. He never thought he’d be one for lovey-dovey talk— “I miss you, I miss you more”—but Barry warmed something inside of him.

“How was your day?” he asked, turning his head to steal another kiss. Barry sighed deeply, resting his chin on Mick’s shoulder.

“Frustrating. Yours?”

Mick shrugged. He’d actually had a pretty boring day. After lounging around on the couch for a couple of hours, he’d gone out to the stables and picked up some loose boards he’d found lying around. He decided he was going to go to the store and get some more, and try to _make_ the swing and rocking chairs. His father was a carpenter, before he died, and Mick still vaguely remembered how to build things.

Also, Ginny could help out.

He just wanted to surprise Barry with something nice for their house.

“It was pretty lazy.” he answered. “Went out and did some shopping. There’s enough food in this house now for even a speedster’s appetite.”

Barry purred, burrowing in face into Mick’s neck. “What’s for dinner?”

“Tacos.” He held up some meat on his spoon, and Barry darted forward to nibble it up.

The speedster full-on moaned. “That’s delicious.”

“It’s an old prison buddy’s recipe.” Mick explained. He nodded towards the oven. “Do me a favor and take the shells out of the—”

There was a flash of lightning, and the shells were on a platter and sitting on the dining room table behind them. Mick poured his taco meat into a bowl and grabbed the tray of toppings. Barry was already sitting when he put it on the table.

He grinned when he saw two beers that hadn’t been on the table before. He loved super speed.

“How did it go with Baby Flash?” He asked, fixing his plate. Something… _fluffy_ filled his stomach. Sitting at the table with his husband, talking about their day. It was domestic, something Mick never thought he’d get.

Barry shook his head. “I don’t know. There’s something wrong, but he won’t open up to me. Or anyone, for that matter.”

Mick got that. Leonard was the same way. When they were partners, if something was wrong, it was like pulling teeth to get him to talk about it with Lisa or Mick. Not that he and Mick ever really talked about feelings, but he needed to know if something was affecting his judgement.

“What are you gonna do?”

Barry shrugged. “I don’t know. For now, I want to help him through all this, y’know? Just, be there for him until he’s ready. But with everything happening, I need to know if it’s going to be a danger to him while he’s Kid Flash.’”

“Maybe it’s nothing,” Mick suggested. “Maybe he’s having love problems, and he’s too embarrassed to talk about it.”

Barry looked like he was considering it, before his face lit up. “Oh, I almost forgot to tell you. We have an event to go to tomorrow. I mean, you don’t have to go, but I figure it’s better than hanging around the house all night.”

That was true. “What event?”

“HR decided to open S.T.A.R Labs to the public as a museum.”

“A Flash museum?”

Barry shook his head. “No, just a S.T.A.R Labs museum. Anyway, there’s a grand opening tomorrow night. He wants us to come, and to invite Team Arrow and the Legends.”

Mick snorted. “He really thinks they’ll come?”

“Open bar,” Barry shrugged, taking a sip of his beer, and _that…_ was not a bad incentive. “Plus, Caitlin told me she invited Lily and Clarissa, so Stein will probably want to come.”

Mick paused, his taco halfway to his mouth, and frowned. “Who the hell’s ‘Lily’?”

“Lily _Stein_ ,” Barry answered, taking a bit of his own taco. “Martin and Clarissa’s daughter? Stein and Caitlin went to visit her during the invasion?”

Well, that wasn’t right. There was no Stein kid. He’d researched every crew member on the Waverider’s entire history when he was Chronos. Unless…

The eighties.

There was a reason he hated the eighties.

Barry’s eyes went wide. “Oh, god. I know that look. It’s a time travel thing, isn’t it?”

“Professor didn’t have a kid before, unless you count Jax,” Mick said. “He spoke to his younger self when we were visiting the Reagan administration, though. I think he accidentally created a little Stein.”

Barry let out a whistle. “Well, they’re all going to be in for a surprise when they find out.”

Mick couldn’t help it—he chuckled at Barry’s nonchalance that someone he’d known for years shouldn’t exist. It was a little sad that all the weird shit they’d all seen had jaded them that much.

“Julian says that I’m allowed to return to work.” Barry continued. “Since he knows I’m the Flash now—yeah, that happened—he understands why I did what I did with Killer Frost.”

Mick raised an eyebrow. “Are you going back?” On one hand, he wanted Barry happy, and his job at the CCPD did that. All Barry ever wanted was to be a CSI, and he’d been devastated when he couldn’t go back.

Barry shrugged a shoulder. “Maybe. Not right now, though. We have enough money from you and Leonard’s…activities…and what Thawne left me, we can survive without me working for a while. Plus, I want to spend more time with my husband.” He winked as he took a drink from his beer. A socked foot snuck up the bottom of his pant leg.

            Mick’s stomach flipped. He loved being married. “I like the sound of that.”

            After dinner, he’d get Ginny to contact the Waverider and get the Legends to come back. Then, he and Barry were going to finish what they’d started that morning. In that moment, everything was perfect.

            He didn’t know that it would be the last worry-free evening they would get.

 

           


	5. I'm the mess you'd wear with pride

            Everything at the S.T.A.R labs Museum opening had to go _perfectly._ Wally had been frantically rushing around for weeks, as both Kid Flash and as Wally West, promoting the opening, getting decorations, making phone calls to local businesses. The words on the future news report still hung in his head: _S.T.A.R lab museum closes._

If he could change that, maybe he could change Barry’s future, too. He knew he was running himself ragged, trying to change something that might be set in stone, but he would rest on May 17th, when Barry was alive and Savitar was gone for good.

            So, overworked and exhausted, he wrestled his way into a suit and sped to S.T.A.R labs. There was still half an hour until the grand opening, but Teams Flash, Arrow, and Legends were already there, all dressed in their best. Barry and Mick were standing with Oliver and Felicity—Barry and Felicity doing most of the talking, while Oliver and Mick both looked like they wanted to be anywhere else; Thea and Jax were standing at the bar, getting their flirt on; Stein and Caitlin were with Lily, who the rest of the Legends kept eyeing suspiciously; Nate and Ray were geeking out with Cisco; Joe and Clarissa were chatting with Jay about Earth-3 and what that was like; Amaya was talking with HR, who was animatedly describing his most recent book; Iris and Caitlin were huddled together with Sara, who looked like she was having the time of her life; and then, there was Leonard Snart.

            The ex-criminal was leaned against the bar, dressed in a dark blue suit, drinking a glass of what looked like scotch. He remembered the last time he’d seen Snart—swaggering away from him at Barry and Mick’s wedding after their quickie in the trailer. The whole encounter had really stuck with him.

            He looked away quickly—he needed to make sure that the opening went off without a hitch. He couldn’t let himself be distracted by Barry’s hot villain-turned-legend. He darted around, almost at superspeeds, checking everything.

            He checked his watch again. Fifteen minutes left until people started showing up. The waiters they’d hired were already setting up their trays, the bartender preparing drinks. He glanced outside the windows and blew out a sigh of relief. People were lining up to be let in. Adults, kids—their dad had even pulled some strings and gotten the CCPD to come.

            A hand on his shoulder made him jump. “You seem a bit uptight, kid.”

            He felt a shiver run up his spine as he turned to face Leonard. His eyes were just as intense as he remembered. “Yeah…just need this to go well, y’know?”

            Leonard pursed his lips and nodded. “I’ve been hearing through the grapevine that you’ve been tense for weeks. Can’t just be this opening bringing ya down.”

            Through the grapevine—meaning Iris told Barry, who told Mick, who passed the message on to Leonard. He pinched the bridge of his nose. “Everything’s fine, really. I don’t care what Iris or Barry think. I’m fine.”

            If he expected Leonard to accept the dismissal, he was sorely disappointed. Instead, Leonard leaned against the window in front of him, arms crossed with a smirk on his face. “Siblings can be like that—trust me, I have one of my own, and if she thought for a moment something was wrong with _me,_ someone would be becoming a gold statue. But…” He clicked his tongue. “I can’t help but think you’re lying to me, Wallace.”

            Wally’s breath caught in his throat when Leonard used his full name. Usually, he hated hearing it. But, ever since that night in the trailer, the way Leonard said it made his pants dangerously tight.

            “Yeah?” Was all he managed to breathe out as Leonard pushed off the glass and stepped into Wally’s space.

            “Yeah.” He whispered back. “You need to tell someone, sweetheart. Doesn’t matter who.”

            He was so close, Wally wanted to push him against the glass and have another go at him, but, before he could make a decision, the rogue sauntered away, back towards the bar.

            He let himself breathe again. That was…intense. He watched Leonard’s hips swaying as he walked away and realized that, for the first time since Christmas, his nerves weren’t making him sick.

            Huh.

            “So, that seems to be going well.” Iris’ voice made him jump. She’d snuck up beside him, her eyes watching Leonard, same as his. “Should I be worried that Lisa Snart is going to start making moves on me, or is it just the boys of the family the Rogues have their eyes on?”

            Wally covered his mouth with his hand in an attempt to cover his blush. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

            Iris hummed. “Am I supposed to pretend that I was too drunk at Barry’s wedding to notice the two of you falling out of the trailer together? Because I’m almost certain that Barry, Sara, and Mick know, too.”

            Wally groaned. He thought that his hook-up with Leonard was a secret.

            “Don’t worry.” Iris reassured. “I won’t tell anyone—especially Dad. He can handle one son with a criminal, but both?”

            He opened his mouth to reply, but something flashed in the corner of his eye. Something big and blue. It was gone by the time he turned. It almost looked like…but it couldn’t have been. One quick glace over at Barry and Jay told him that they hadn’t seen it.

            “Wally? Are you alright?”

            He shook his panic away as he turned back to Iris. “I…uh…yeah. I’m fine. I just remembered I promised to help HR out with something.” He practically ran from the worried his sister had pointed at him.

            Savitar wasn’t at the party. He couldn’t be. He was trapped in the Speed Force.

0000000

            After the doors opened, Team Flash was pretty busy. Cisco and Caitlin, being the only two employees left from the original regime, were being pulled this way and that by reporters, donors, and curious guests. Oliver and Felicity were the same, constantly being pulled away for quotes.

            Barry was less interesting to them—though it was public record that he had been left S.T.A.R Labs by the ‘late’ Harrison Wells, aka the man who murdered his mother, everyone had made sure his name was nowhere near the S.T.A.R Labs museum. He and Mick had talked with some people for a little while, until Barry urged his husband towards the bar to do what he really wanted to do—drink. A few people from the CCPD approached him then, just some small talk between colleagues before moving on. About an hour in to the party, Barry found himself standing with Jay.

            They got a few looks from some of Barry’s former co-workers—it was no secret that Barry’s father had been murdered by Zoom, but Jay had been around their Central enough, making a name for himself, that people seemed to know the difference. Still, it was probably an odd sight.

            When Barry explained it to Jay, he laughed. “I understand. Imagine how it is for me, being in this strange world so similar to mine, with people who are the same, but not quite right.”

            Barry furrowed his brow. “There are doppelgangers of us on Earth-3?”

            Jay nodded. “We have a James Jesse Trickster. We have a Dr. Tina McGhee. We even have a Joe West, but his name is Eric Russell, and he’s a scientist.”

            A laugh punched out of Barry as he pictured his foster father as a scientist. He’d struggled helping Barry with science fair projects in middle school! “You’re kidding. Is there a Nora Allen over there?”

            Jay’s smile fell, his mirth turning solemn. “Thompson. Nora Thompson. We were together for…for a long time. We were engaged, but not long after I got my speed and became the Flash, I had to leave her, to protect her from the villains of my Earth. It’s one of my greatest regrets.”

            “What happened to her?” Barry found himself asking.

            Jay hung his head. “She…uh…she died. About ten years ago, actually. She was sick. I didn’t know until it was too late.”

            “I’m sorry.” He said sincerely. Jay’s focus was elsewhere though, stuck on some memory or regret.

            “She would be ashamed of me.” He whispered suddenly. “Ashamed of what I’ve done…what I’ve had to do. You’re a better Flash than I am, Barry.” He turned back to him, his gaze still distant, but smiling warmly.

“I know I’m not really your father, but I want you to know how proud I am of the man you are. You’re a great hero, you have a wonderful…if not somewhat overwhelming husband,” They both looked over at the bar, where Mick and Sara had gathered a crowd of rich donors betting on who could throw back the most shots. He resisted the urge to laugh as Caitlin pushed through the crowd to put a stop to it. “You have loyal friends. You have it all. Never take it for granted.”

            Barry nodded, not knowing what else he could say or do. He remembered that Jay knew what was wrong with Wally, what happened in the Speed Force. Was that what brought on this talk? What could’ve happened that was making both Jay and Wally act so strange?

            But, before Barry could ask, HR called Jay’s name. Jay walked off, still lost in whatever lane his memories had taken him on, and Barry groaned—he’d have to try asking Wally again. _Someone_ had to be able to get it out of him. He searched the room, trying to spot his foster brother, and frowned.

            He was supposed to be walking around with everyone else. Where was he?

 


	6. He told me to come, but I was already there

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> KIDCOLD SMUT IN THIS CHAPTER!!!!!!

            Len hadn’t expected Wallace West.

How could he have? At first, he was just the Flash’s cutesy sidekick. Naive, with just that bit of a rebellious streak in him that made Len want to see his wild side. Then, he finally got a taste of that wild side at the wedding.

Mick was holding back details about sex with speedsters. He was pretty sure that, had they had the time and more than a desk in a trailer, the two of them could’ve gone on for hours. He hadn’t expected the incident, and he hadn’t expected to find himself wanting more.

And he certainly hadn’t expected, an hour into the S.T.A.R. Labs museum party, to be whisked away at superspeeds to the closet.

Oh, well. C'est la vie.

They kissed their way inside the coat closet, Len kicking the door closed behind them. This was a bad idea—he _knew_ it was a bad idea. The last time they’d hooked up he’d considered a fluke. Drunk on both alcohol and the adrenaline of stopping an alien invasion, he hadn’t been able to resist Wallace, who had been watching him with bright, admiring eyes since their first fight against the aliens.

Now, though, he had no excuse except he was a thief, and he took whatever he wanted.

            Wallace ripped his jacket off, his lips not leaving Len’s once, and pushed him so that his back was against the door. Len pulled his arms out of his jacket sleeves and grabbed at the front of Wallace’s shirt, pulling him even closer. He freed the buttons on his shirt down to his stomach and swallowed. He wasn’t built, per say, but there was some hard muscle there that Len wanted to drag his tongue down.

All of his previous worries were pushed to the side as fingers pulled at his belt, and Wallace’s mouth moved to his throat.

            Len gasped, his hand twisting into the fabric of Wallace’s shirt. “Damn, kid,” he groaned, “you must really be hard up.”

            Wallace pulled away for a second, and Len could suddenly see the real reason he’d been dragged away into the coat closet. The kid was searching for something—he was tired and scared, and needed a distraction. It was a look he’d only ever seen in a handful of people—people who had seen terrible things they wanted to forget.

            Well, if the kid wanted to forget, Len could do that for him. He surged forward for another kiss, this one slower and dirtier, his hands slipping around Wallace’s tight body to stroke anywhere he could reach.

            “I’ll give you what you need,” he whispered. He pulled Wallace down to the floor with him as he fell to his knees so they could lay out on the floor. “Just relax, Sweetheart.”

            Wallace shuddered at the pet name, his eyes shining with awe at the criminal. God, the kid was beautiful. His bright eyes, his dimpled smile, the deep noise he made in the back of his throat when Len’s fingers stroked around his bulge.

            “Leonard…” he groaned. Len clicked his tongue, unbuckling Wallace’s belt and unbuttoning his slacks.

            “I’m about to have your dick in my mouth,” he smirked, enjoying the wrecked way Wallace moaned. “Call me ‘Len’.”

            He unzipped Wallace and slipped his hand inside. Wallace bit his lip as Len wrapped his hand around his warm, thick cock, pushing his underwear down far enough to pull him free. He slowly stroked him, and Wallace threw his head back, almost drawing blood in his lip.

            He dragged his tongue up the underside of Wallace’s cock. The young speedster bucked up, his hands clenching and unclenching beside him. “Look at me, Wallace.”

            Wallace’s eyes quickly shot down to meet his, and Len immediately took his entire length into his mouth. The kid almost screamed.

            “Len!” He squeezed his eyes shut, his hand groping for the back of Len’s head. Usually he would insist on keeping eye contact, but the pleasure all over Wallace’s face was so much better—his face was scrunched up, his mouth open and panting along with his heaving chest. Every few seconds his tongue would dart out to wet his lips.

            Len groaned around the kid’s cock. It was ridiculous how hot Wallace was. This kid—because, compared to Leonard, that’s all he was—should _not_ be allowed to be _that_ sexy. 

            Suddenly, Wallace’s entire body vibrated. Len pulled away, one eyebrow raised. That was unexpected. Wallace let out a shuddered breath. “Too much for you to handle?” he taunted with less confidence than Len was sure he intended.

            Len ran his hands up Wallace’s thighs and, before he could overthink it, pulled his pants down to his ankles, putting the speedster’s muscular legs on display. All he could think about was how much he wanted those thighs wrapped around him… but not in the S.T.A.R. Labs coat closet.

            _Next time._

            He leaned down to suck on the inside of Wallace’s thigh before he could freak out over the fact he was already planning for a next time. Wallace pushed up on his elbows, and Len’s eyes flickered up to see him, slack jawed and gasping, but watching with rapt attention. He dragged his flat tongue up the inside of Wallace’s thigh, stopping at the crease of his groin.

            With a smug glance at the speedster’s face, he took the sensitive skin between his teeth and sucked. “God…” Wallace groaned. “Please… Just… Just…”

            He thrust his hips up, and Len huffed a laugh. Normally, he’d want to take his time and take him apart, but he remembered where they were. Pretty soon, someone was going to come looking for them… or at least their coat. So he acquiesced, swallowing Wallace down suddenly all the way to the base.

            After that, the kid barely lasted a minute. Len sucked him through his orgasm, moaning around his cock as he dipped his own hand into his slacks and jerked himself off. When they were both sated and boneless, Len flopped on the floor beside Wallace, resting his chin on his bare chest.

            “So… you gonna tell me what had you so worked up you needed me to suck your brain out through your dick?”

            Wallace’s eyes fell closed as he turned his head away from Len’s stare. “It’s… it’s too much.”

            “Y’know what they say,” Len dragged his fingers down Wallace’s skin lightly, leaving goosebumps in their wake, “about problems shared. I’m a good listener, Sweetheart, and an even better secret keeper. Give me a shot, before you have a nervous breakdown.”

            When Wallace seemed like he wasn’t going to answer, Len pressed a kiss to his sternum and sat up with a sigh. “Well, I’ve done all I can do then. Can’t make you open up if you don’t want to.”

            He put his arms to the floor to push to his feet, but a hand, faster than light, grabbed his bicep to stop him.

            “Please, don’t,” Wallace whispered, now sitting up and staring at him with big, pleading eyes. “Don’t go.”

            Len raised an eyebrow. “Then talk to me. I don’t mind being a stress relief, but I’d like to know what I’m up against.”

            Wallace’s eyes dipped down for a moment, and the young speedster nodded. “Okay… But you can’t tell anyone. Especially not Barry. Or Mick.”

            Something serious then. Still, Leonard could keep a secret. How bad could it be? He nodded in agreement.

            Wallace sighed. “It was about a month after The Invasion…”

            Len pushed back so he was leaned against the wall and moved Wallace so that his head was settled in Len’s lap. “I was covering for Barry, and Jay—Barry’s dad’s Earth-3 doppelganger—came to help me stop Savitar before he forced Julian to turn everyone into their Flashpoint meta-selves.

“We found a way to trap Savitar. We had to open a portal into the Speed Force and throw this stone into it that he was using to show himself here.”

Len frowned, pausing his hand, which hand been playing with the speedster’s hair. “What do you mean ‘show himself’?”

“Someone already trapped him in the Speed Force,” Wallace explained. “I don’t know who, he didn’t say when we questioned him through Julian. All he would tell us was that everything would be his—you know, standard supervillain stuff.”

Len chuckled. “I take offense to that.”

A weak smile pulled at Wallace’s lips. “Anyway, me and Jay opened the portal, and I got the stone inside, but… something else happened.”

Wallace squeezed his eyes shut, like he was reliving whatever he’d gone through in the Speed Force. “I was… I was in the future. Like, months from now. I was standing in the square in the middle of town, on Infantino Street. And the Legends…”

He swallowed hard, and Len could feel his body almost vibrating in his lap. “They were everywhere. Sara, Amaya, Nate, Ray, I think Rip Hunter… They were all dead.”

Len’s breath caught in his throat, but Wallace wasn’t done. “I couldn’t tell if Firestorm was dead or not, but Savitar was just standing there at the center of it all. Mick was on the ground in front of him... His legs were broken, and Savitar had Barry by the neck, and Mick was begging him not to kill Barry, but…”

There were tears falling down Wallace’s face. He was choking over his words, but Len could tell they were just pouring out now. “He just stabbed him and dropped him to the ground like he was nothing. And Mick screamed, but Savitar…Savitar just picked him up and carried him away.”

That jarred Len more than anything. “Wait, he killed all of the Legends _and_ Barry, but he didn’t kill Mick?”

Wallace shook his head. “No. It was weird. He like… stroked his face? And talked about how he would forget Barry, and how beautiful he would be. I don’t know, he’s crazy.”

Len considered all that Wallace had just told him. In a few months, Barry and the Legends would all be dead and Mick would be in the hands of a mad man. There had to be more to it than all that, though. If he’d been trapped in the Speed Force, then Savitar had had a lot of time to plan everything.

“I can’t tell the others,” Wallace’s voice pulled him from his thoughts. When Len looked down, the kid seemed even younger than before. He was too young to have this on his shoulders. “How can I? How do I tell Barry that he’s going to die? Or that his husband is going to be taken by Savitar? Or that the Legends are going to die?”

“I’m not,” Len added, with a forced smile, “that should help.” _Unless I’m already dead_ , he thought. The musing soured his stomach.

“What should I do?”

Len sighed. “I’m probably not the best person to ask. If you’ve noticed, I’m not one to keep secrets from people regarding their own lives. If it were me, I would’ve told them the second I came back. However, if you do that you have to deal with the consequences—the panic, the sadness, the preemptive grief, but you’ll have time to come up with a plan and maybe stop it from happening. If you don’t, they can all live in ignorant bliss for a few months—Mick and Barry have their little domestic farmhouse, the Legends all go back to saving time and getting the Spear of Destiny back, but ultimately, they will all die horribly and violently at Savitar’s hands. Except for Mick, whose fate is still unknown to us, making it all the more terrifying.”

He patted the kid on the head. “Your trip to the future, your choice. Now, we need to get out before someone finds us in here with—literally in your case—our pants down.”

Wallace laughed quietly, which warmed Len’s heart. Weird.

Suddenly, the room was filled with orange lightning, and they were both standing, their clothes zipped and straightened, Len’s coat thrown over his arm, and Wallace was smirking.

“You want to go out first, or should I?”

Len smirked back, resisting the urge to give him a good-bye kiss. They weren’t like that. It was a quickie in the coat closet, that’s all. He stepped back and held an arm towards the door. “After you.”

He watched Wallace confidently walk out of the closet. Once the door shut with a click behind him, Len leaned against the wall and took a deep breath. He hadn’t shown it in front of Wallace, but the future scared him. He didn’t know the variables, didn’t know what caused it all to happen. How could he save Mick, Barry, and the Legends if he didn’t even know who or what Savitar was and what he wanted?

 


	7. Time has come today

            Wally was walking back out towards the party when he felt eyes on him. He paused in the middle of the hall, the hairs on his neck and arms rising. Something was wrong.

            Suddenly his face was shoved into the wall, cold, metal claws clutching the back of his head and pinning his arms behind his back.

            “You believed you could rid yourself of me that easily, Kid Flash?” Savitar’s voice growled in his ear. “You thought this was over? It’s only just beginning.”

            Wally was scared, more scared than he’d ever felt since becoming Kid Flash. “How… How are you here? We trapped you in the Speed Force!”

            “You can’t stop a God,” he growled, pressing harder against Wally. “As long as there is still a shard of the stone on this Earth, I can still hurt all of the ones you love.”

            “NO!” Wally used every bit of strength and speed to push himself off the wall, throwing Savitar back with him to ram into the other side of the hall. Savitar fell to the floor with a dark laugh.

            “You can’t protect Barry Allen, and you can’t save him. I will take what is rightfully mine.”

            Wally frowned. What the hell was he talking about? But before he could say anything else, he heard running from both directions in the hall. Savitar took off in a flash of blue lightning, right before Len came running from one end of the hall, and Barry, Iris, Jay, Mick, and his dad all came running from the other.

            Wally’s legs chose that moment to give out from under him. Strong arms wrapped around his waist to keep him upright, and Barry was suddenly standing in front of him.

            “We heard shouting and a loud crash. What happened?”

            “I don’t know,” Len responded from behind Wally. The arms around his waist tightened. “I came up the same time you did.”

            “It was him,” Wally heard himself stutter. He could feel a full-on panic attack coming on. The last time he’d felt one was when his mother told him that she was sick. “It was him… He was here…”

            “Wallace!”

            “Wally, breathe!” He was suddenly sitting on the floor, leaned against a hard chest.

            “Wallace, listen to my breathing. Breathe with me,” Len prompted. Wally shuddered, but did as he was told, and the world sharpened again. Everyone was standing around him, looking down worriedly at him practically sitting in Len’s lap.

            Barry knelt in front of him. “You okay, Wally?”

            He nodded, still struggling to catch his breath. “Jay…” His eyes shot up to the other speedster hovering over them. “He’s back. We failed. He was here.”

            Barry frowned. “Who was here?”

            But Jay answered. “Savitar. Savitar is back.”

0000000

            The party ended around eleven that night, but Joe and Iris took Wally home hours before that. He was still frantic as they led him to Joe’s car, but Caitlin gave Joe a speedster sedative that would help him sleep.

             Leonard wandered off, probably back to the Waverider with the rest of the crew, right after the party ended, but Barry could tell he was worried about Wally. He wondered how deep their relationship went.

            Barry and, by association, Mick, stayed behind after to help clean up. Cisco hounded him about Savitar the whole time, asking what _exactly_ he had seen, how Savitar was free, what had happened. Each time, Barry told him everything he knew—he hadn’t seen anything. He and the others had come running up the hall to find Wally having a panic attack, claiming Savitar attacked him.

            He knew Cisco was scared, though. They all were. Savitar wasn’t like Zoom, or even Thawne. He was a God. He ran faster than anything any of them had seen, he knew things about them no one else knew, he could get _inside their heads_ and manipulate them. He thought about Mick, and how easily Zoom or the Dominators had almost taken him away. To think that Savitar could take him from Barry before he could even _think_ about stopping him…

            He couldn’t bear to think about it.

            Eventually, they all went home, the threat of Savitar hanging over them and haunting their thoughts.

            “Hey.”

            Barry snapped out of it. Mick was behind the wheel of his ’73 Chevy ½ Ton—apparently, he’d found it at one of his and Leonard’s safe houses years back and fixed it up by himself—driving them back to the farm, his eyes darting worriedly over at Barry every now and then.

            “You doing okay?”

            He nodded. “Yeah, just... I want to believe that Savitar is gone and Wally is just having some slight PTSD—”

            “You _want_ to believe that?”

            “Yes,” Barry sighed, “because then, there’s no real danger, and we can help Wally through it all. But, if Savitar really is back… Mick, we don’t know who he is or what he really wants. Cisco showed me the footage of their ‘conversation’ through Julian, right before they tossed the stone. He knows _me_ , though. He knows all of us so well… In ways a lot of us don’t know ourselves.”

            Mick whistled low. “Sounds like whatever he said musta really shaken ya.”

            He had no idea. Barry could still hear Julian’s voice, twisted and deepened, as it spoke Savitar’s words.

            _“None of you are on your knees,”_ he’d growled, Julian’s eyes sweeping over Cisco, Caitlin, HR, Jay, Joe, and Wally. _“It’s a smart move to bow before a deity.”_

            _“Fat chance,”_ Wally scoffed. _“You’re no God. You’re just some poser, like Zolomon.”_

Savitar’s gaze cut over to him. _“Dear Wallace. To be a God you just have to make people_ believe _you’re a God.”_

Iris snorted. _“No one here thinks you’re a God.”_

She’d probably said it to antagonize him, but all Savitar did was laugh. _“Not yet, Iris. But I don’t want you to worship me… At least, not the way any of you expect.”_

This time, Cisco replied. _“Good, cuz we weren’t planning on building any monuments to you anytime soon.”_

Savitar shook Julian’s head. _“You misunderstand my intentions. All of you. What I want isn’t temples or monuments. That is not the measure of a true God.”_

The room went quiet for a moment. _“I’ll bite,”_ Joe finally said. _“What_ is _the measure of a true God?”_

_“You measure a true God by how he is worshipped. A vengeful God dominates the world with fear and pain. A benevolent God, however, is given the world freely, with love from those around him.”_

_“You want to rule us through love?”_ Wally asked, just as confused as the rest of the room. Savitar shook his head.

            _“No. I want you—Wallace West, HR Wells, Joe West, Iris West, Caitlin Snow, and Cisco Ramon—to love me. And you all will. Well, you and one other, the most important prize in my sights.”_

_“And you’ve gone through all of this because…?”_

_“Barry Allen is weak, unworthy of what he’s been given,”_ Savitar all but spat. _“I needed to show him his mistakes creating Flashpoint, I need to make him suffer as I have suffered, and then, I will rid the world of the False God, and I will rise.”_

 _“Dude,”_ Cisco spoke up, _“that’s harsh. What did Barry ever do to you?”_

 _“He stole my life!”_ Savitar roared. _“He took everything I ever wanted, and I’m going to take it back!”_

 _“You won’t.”_ For the first and only time on the video, Jay stepped forward. _“Let it go. Barry isn’t going anywhere. His loved ones will never accept you, and you will never defeat him.”_

Savitar sneered at the older speedster, leaning back in his chair, disgustedly. _“Why? Because he has Old Man Flash on his side? You may have been quick ten years ago, but now, you’ll just throw your hip out, pops.”_

 _“Here’s my promise to all of you,”_ Savitar continued, attention snapping away from Jay, _“I will return. The Flash will be sacrificed. Barry Allen will die. Time will be mine. And everyone who loves him will either fall at my feet, or they will suffer. The Wrath of Savitar will come, and none of you will be able to stop me.”_

            After that, Cisco cut the line on Julian’s halo. Barry couldn’t help but wonder, though, if Wally had seen Savitar’s future in the Speed Force. Maybe that’s why he was acting strange.

            “I don’t want anything else taken away from me,” he heard himself whisper. “Thawne, Zolomon, they both took so much from me. If I were to lose you…”

            A warm hand covered his, squeezing it reassuringly. “No one’s taking me from you, Doll. I promise. I’ll fight ‘em and fry ‘em.”

            They pulled in the driveway, the lights inside flipping on the moment they climbed out of the truck. Barry sighed, wrapping his hands around his husband’s arm and resting his head on his shoulder as they stepped up the porch steps to the front door.

            The door swung open. _“Welcome Home, Misters Rory.”_

Barry cringed. They hadn’t decided on the name thing, yet, but he wasn’t sure about ‘Barry Rory’. Really, ‘Mick Allen’ sounded so much better.

            Mick leaned down and pressed a kiss to his lips, bringing him back to the moment. “Everything’s going to be alright,” he whispered against his lips.

            A grin pulled at Barry’s lips, and he hummed. “I love you.”

            Mick chuckled. “I love you, too. Don’t worry your pretty head so hard.”

            Barry kissed his husband deeply. He couldn’t worry about Savitar, or Wally, or any of that. Tomorrow was a new day. A day when he could actually do something.


	8. I'm the lucky fool you married

            Barry woke slowly that morning to a cold bed. Not the best thing to wake up to, but it wasn’t like Mick skipped out on him in the middle of the night or anything. Stretching, he climbed out of bed. The floor was cold enough that he flashed over to the dresser to slip some socks on, before grabbing the bright red robe with the Flash symbol on the back that he was almost positive either Cisco or Ray had picked out as a wedding gift. Mick had a matching one, only it was gray with something the Legends and Team Flash had dubbed ‘the Heatwave Symbol’.

            He quietly tiptoed down the stairs, looking around for any sign of his husband. When he reached the kitchen, a smile grew on his face. There was an entire continental breakfast set out on the island, with eggs, toast, waffles, sliced fruit, biscuits, bacon, sausage…

            There was a little note addressed to him in front of the feast.

            _Doll,_ it read, _woke up early and decided to work on a new project in the workshop. I’ll join you for breakfast as soon as I can. I love you._

Barry sighed lovingly. To most people, Mick didn’t seem like the affectionate, sentimental type of partner. Barry knew better though. Mick always told Barry he loved him, every morning after waking up, every night before going to bed, and every moment he felt like it in between. Mick wasn’t ashamed of being in love.

            Also, he showed his love through cooking, which not only warmed Barry’s heart, but also filled his stomach, for which he was grateful. He considered sneaking out to the workshop/stables to check on Mick and get a peek at what he was working on, but then he thought about the food getting cold and decided to eat first.

            _“Good Morning, Mr. Rory-Allen.”_

            They really needed to decide on that. “How about just Barry, Ginny?” he suggested, grabbing a plate from the cupboard. “I can sense a fight coming if you continue to bring up that we haven’t decided on a last name yet.”

            _“Of course, Barry.”_

            He scooped large portions of food onto his plate, fixed a cup of coffee, and headed into the living room instead of the dining room. It was Saturday, which meant Saturday morning cartoons, which _no_ , he had _not_ outgrown. He could be a grown, married man and still enjoy watching Cyberchase on PBS, or Arthur.

            He’d finished his first helping when he heard the kitchen door open, and bootsteps stomp inside.

            “Barry?” he heard Mick call. “You awake yet, Doll?”

            “Living room!” Barry called back, taking a sip of his coffee. When Mick walked into the living room, Barry almost choked on it.

            Mick was wearing a flannel shirt with the sleeves rolled up past his elbows and the top few buttons undone, and a pair of loose jeans. He must have been working hard, because his forehead was sweaty, and there was dirt on the knees of his jeans.

            He felt a new kink coming on.

            “Morning, love,” Mick bent down and pressed a quick kiss to Barry’s lips.

            “Morning,” he greeted back. Mick’s eyes darted over to the TV, where Arthur’s theme song was playing, but said nothing about it.

            Good, because judging your spouse’s taste in television was a divorce-worthy offence.

            “Whatcha up to today?” Mick asked, plopping down beside him.

            Barry shrugged. “I’m probably going to stop by Joe’s and check on Wally. He was really freaked out last night. What about you? Are you going to do something with Leonard, Ray, or Sara while they’re in town?”

            Mick shook his head. “Nah, the Legends are going back in the timestream tomorrow, something about saving Hunter from the Legion of Doom, whatever that means. Haircut and Blondie are heading for Star City to see Team Arrow before they leave, and Snart is up to some shit. I was thinking about just working in my shop today.”

            “What are you working on out there?” Barry asked, curiosity getting the better of him. A secretive smirk—one he was sure he’d seen on Leonard before—pulled at Mick’s lips.

            “It’s a surprise,” he replied. “The first part should be done by next week, and the last part should be done in a month or two.”

            “Can’t wait.” Barry shifted so that he was leaned against Mick’s side, his coffee still cradled in his hands. It was… near perfect. He could almost forget about Savitar, or Wally, or the fact that Eobard Thawne was still out there wreaking havoc. He wished his life could always be so peaceful.

            “What’s going through your head, Doll?” Mick whispered, resting his face on Barry’s head.

            Barry sighed. “Just how tired I am,” he answered honestly. “I want this, what we have right now. For the first time since I was eleven, I feel… whole, y’know? I’m happy, and I feel like, as long as I’m the Flash, someone’s always going to want to take that from me. What happens when the next Zolomon or Thawne shows up? What happens when they try to take all of this, take _you_ , from me?”

            Mick was silent for a minute. “Well,” he spoke up, “I’ll fry them alive.”

            _“And I will personally blast them for you,”_ Ginny interjected, making Barry laugh. He forgot how protective their house was of them.

            “And, if it worries you that much,” Mick continued, “don’t be the Flash. You’ve got the little one filling in for ya already. Just have Ramon make him a suit like yours and let him have the job full time. You don’t owe anyone anything, Barry.”

            “I know,” Barry sighed, even though he didn’t believe it. “I just… I need to help Wally. He’s been through so much—I mean, he was kidnapped by Zoom less than a year ago, he got his powers from a mythical stone and a demented speedster… Is he ready for the responsibility of being the Flash?”

            “I don’t know, but I know you weren’t ready either, and you do fine.”

            They fell into a comfortable silence after that, Barry laying snugly against Mick’s side, while Mick sat back, watching the cartoons with his husband.

0000000

            Wally couldn’t stay in bed, no matter what his dad or sister said. He’d slept like the dead, drugged up from the elephant tranquilizer Caitlin sedated him with—apparently, speedsters needed stronger stuff than regular people. He waited until his dad left to go to work and Iris went downstairs—she was working on an article about the opening, but she always blared music in her earbuds while she wrote—before slipping out the window.

            “Knew there was a reason I liked you.”

            Wally lost his balance, almost taking a fall right off the roof if a hand hadn’t grabbed the back of his hoodie.

            “Watch it, kid,” Len chuckled, pulling him back. “I didn’t climb the side of your house just to see you brain yourself on the front lawn.”

            “Len? What the hell are you doing here?” Wally sputtered, happy and confused to see the criminal. Len let go of his hoodie and leaned next to Wally’s open window.

            “I heard you’re on lockdown after your freak out last night. I thought I’d pop by, make sure Savitar hadn’t ripped your head off or anything.”

            Wally was about to argue that he could handle himself, when he realized— “You believe me? You believe that I saw Savitar?”

            Len shrugged. “Why not? After that future you told me about, it was bound to happen sometime. I’d much rather believe you and be wrong, than say you’re crazy and be dead.”

            Wally didn’t even bother correcting that Len didn’t die in his future. He was so happy that someone didn’t think he was crazy, he nearly rushed forward to kiss the thief. He resisted the urge though, not knowing how Len would react. Sex? Sure. But kissing? Affectionate, grateful kissing? That felt like a bad move.

            So, instead, he nodded. “Alright. What’s our play?”

            He could see the wheels turning behind Len’s eyes. “You all said that there was some kind of stone that Savitar was using before, to reach through from the Speed Force?”

            “Yeah, but I got rid of it.”

            “You _think_ you did,” Len corrected, “but if that’s the only way we know of that Savitar can make contact here, I think it’s safe to theorize that there may be a piece still here, meaning…”

            “Someone stole a shard from the stone,” Wally finished his thought. “If we find out who and why, we might have answers, and we’ll have a way to get rid of Savitar.”

            Len stepped forward and clapped Wally on the back. “I knew you were more than a sexy smile, Sweetheart. Now, let’s get out of here and start chasing leads before your sister finds out you’re gone.”

 


	9. Trying to take what's lost and broke, and make it right

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What? TWO updates in ONE week? 
> 
> Consider this an Irma given gift, because I'm in the impact zone and freaking out.

            Barry was drying dishes when his phone buzzed in his pocket. Mick, who had been doing the washing, paused as Barry checked the message.

            “It’s from Iris,” he frowned. “She says that she went to check on Wally, but he isn’t in his room.”

            Mick raised an eyebrow. “He’s a grown-up. She can’t expect him to just stay in there because she says so.”

            Barry sighed, putting his phone away. “She’s worried about him. What if he’s hallucinating Savitar again? What if he gets himself hurt? Worse—what if it _isn’t_ a hallucination and Savitar is really on the loose and kills Wally?”

            He wiped his hands off on his pants. “I need to go find him, Mick.”

            His husband nodded. “He’s your partner. You gotta watch his back.” He grabbed Barry by the waist and kissed him hard.

Barry chuckled as he was dipped backwards slightly with the kiss. “I love you.”

“I love you, too. How about I come pick you up from S.T.A.R. Labs tonight around six and take you to dinner?” 

Barry hummed. That sounded amazing. He kissed Mick again before stepping out of his arms. “I’ll see you at six.”

He flashed out of the house and into S.T.A.R. Labs, where Cisco, Caitlin, and Julian were dashing around and typing away on the computers.

“BA!” HR greeted, appearing beside Barry and throwing an arm over his shoulder. “Thanks again for bringing your friends last night—I feel the opening was a rousing success, don’t you? I mean, besides the whole ‘Savitar’ thing.”

Barry ignored him as he hurried over to Cisco. “Any sign of Wally?”

“Not yet. Joe is out looking for him, and Iris is waiting at home to see if he comes back.” Cisco’s fingers typed away on the keyboard, his eyes transfixed on the screen. “It doesn’t make sense, though, man. I have every security camera in the city watching for him. So far, I got nothing. It’s like he’s avoiding them.”

Barry furrowed his brow. How would Wally know about ducking security cameras? Unless… He sighed deeply. “He’s not alone,” he groaned.

Caitlin, Julian, and Cisco all stopped what they were doing, their attention wholly on Barry. He sighed again. He didn’t want to out Wally’s… relations… with Leonard Snart, but there was only one person he knew that was smart enough to know how to avoid every security camera in Central City.

He didn’t have a choice. He needed to find Wally.

He sucked in a breath. “I think that Leonard Snart might be with him.”

A confused frown appeared on Julian’s face, but Caitlin and Cisco’s eyes widened. “Snart _kidnapped_ Wally?” Caitlin demanded. “I thought he was supposed to be good now.”

“Once a villain,” Cisco stated, eyes narrowed, “always a villain.”

Barry rolled his eyes. On one hand, he understood their reactions—Leonard Snart had kidnapped and terrorized both of them on separate occasions, but people could change. From what he’d seen, Leonard was more anti-hero than villain now.

“No,” he answered. “I think that Wally left _with_ Leonard. They’ve been…” _How to say it without implying a sexual relationship…_ “hanging together more since the invasion. I don’t know why, but they were friends, of a sort, in Flashpoint. They were kind of like Flashpoint’s version of me and Oliver.”

 _If our counterparts were secretly banging,_ he added in his head.

            An arm was thrown over his shoulder again as HR stepped up beside Barry. “Ah, yes. Young Wallace and the dastardly Leonard Snart. It’s nice to see the blossoming of lo—”

            Barry stomped on HR’s foot as discretely as possible. He didn’t know how HR knew, but he was going to make him keep his mouth shut. “ _Anyway_ … With Leonard in mind, is there a way we can track them?”

            Cisco smirked deviously. “Are you asking if I somehow snuck a tracking device onto the cold gun when we all teamed up against the aliens because of my distrust of Captain Cold? If so, then yes.” He dramatically pushed a button on the keyboard, and a light appeared on the map pictured across their screens.

            Barry was about to thank him, when another thought occurred to him. “Cisco, you didn’t do the same to Mick’s heat gun, did you?”

            And there was the guilty expression. “I’ll turn it off.”

            Barry snorted. “Alright, I’m going to flash over, try and talk to them. You guys keep an eye on the city, just in case…”

            “Just in case we see an invisible speed monster?” Julian said, doubtfully.

            “Yeah, that.” With that, he sped away, hoping that he wouldn’t be too late, and hoping, beyond anything, that Wally was wrong.

0000000

            When Len said they were dropping by his house for some things, Wally didn’t expect a mansion, two miles outside of town.

            “Damn, this is where you _live?_ ” The place was huge, with a half mile driveway, security lining the roof, and a long staircase leading up to the grand doorway.

            Len shrugged like it was no big deal, but Wally could see he was proud of it. “It’s one of the places I live. This is the place I keep my most precious treasure. It’s also where I keep all of S.T.A.R. Labs’ security footage.”

             “You have access to S.T.A.R. Labs’ security cameras?”

            “Since the Ferris Air incident,” Len smirked. He unlocked the front door and held it open for Wally. “It downloads automatically every day, without any there knowing it. There are no secrets the Flash can keep from me.”

            He should’ve found that creepy. He actually found it kind of hot that Len could outsmart even Cisco’s security. He walked into the house, and his jaw dropped. He’d never been in a house as fancy as Len’s mansion.

            “Like it?” Len teased, shutting the door behind them.

            “Man, this is house is bigger—and nicer—than my high school.”

            Len laughed as he led Wally past the huge stairwell and toward a set of double doors closer to the back of the house. Inside was an old-fashioned, dark wooded desk, two huge windows with heavy curtains pulled halfway across them, and books. All around the walls were bookshelves full of them. He read some of the bindings and smiled when he realized they were engineering books.

            He hadn’t known that Len liked engineering as much as he did.

            Len walked around the desk and unlocked the top drawer with a key from the top pocket of his black jacket. He pulled out a laptop.

            “With this,” he held it up, “we can find out who betrayed Team Flash and stole a piece of that stone.”

            Wally’s heart leapt. Len literally held the way to save Barry in his hands. It could all be over today.

            “Dad?”

            For the second time in less than two hours, Wally almost jumped out of his skin. When he spun around, he was shocked to see a kid—probably about ten or eleven—standing in the doorway. He was watching Wally with narrowed, suspicious eyes, like he was an intruder in the kid’s territory. And, if the kid was who Wally assumed he was, he was right.

            “Michael, what are you doing home?” Len asked, sitting the laptop on the desk and striding over to his son. All of the cool ‘Captain Cold’ melted away, replaced by a smiling, caring, concerned, parental Leonard Snart. “I thought that you had gymnastics today.”

            “I twisted my ankle on the balance beam last week.” Michael pulled up his pant leg to show off his bandaged ankle. “Coach says I need to take two weeks before I can do anything else. I saw you from my swing, though.”

            He pointed towards the window. Wally focused his eyes through the open space, and, sure enough, a tire swing was tied to the tree right outside.

            “Aunt Lisa is upstairs on the phone with Rogue business. Do you want me to go get her?”

            Len shook his head. “No, that’s fine, kiddo. I’m just helping my friend, Wallace, here.”

            Michael’s attention went back to Wally, his eyes as sharp and assessing as his father’s. “Is he a Rogue?”

            Len barked out a laugh. “No, he isn’t. He is a meta, though, and another really bad meta is threatening his brother and your Uncle Mick. I’m helping find a way to stop him.”

            Michael’s eyes lit up. “Is he Uncle Barry’s brother?”

            Wally almost questioned why Barry never told him about Len’s kid, before remembering Flashpoint, and that maybe he’d either told him in the original timeline or hadn’t known Michael at all back then.

            “Yes, he is,” Len answered.

            An adorable, determined look settled on Michael’s face. “Kick the other meta’s ass, Wallace.” Without another word, the ten-year-old limped back out. Wally covered his mouth to smother a laugh.

            “Kick his ass?”

            Len, who had already moved back to the other side of the desk and opened the laptop, sighed. “I’ve tried stopping him from cursing—I even started a swear jar—but I’ve given up. There are more important things for me to worry about with him, like how he keeps starting fights at school and was caught shoplifting a few weeks ago.”

            Wally settled in the chair across from his. “Aren’t you a thief?”

            “Yes,” Len replied, “but as a child I was forced to steal and shoplift for survival. I don’t want Michael to become a thief or a criminal because he thinks he has to be like me, and I don’t want him to start this early. I want him to have the chance to choose that I didn’t have, and that’s difficult when you have a record. Luckily, the owner of the store was an old contact of mine who let him off with a warning.”

            Wally stared at Len, taking in everything he’d just said. It was the most Len had ever told him about himself. Probably more than he told most people. The room fell silent after that, Len typing away and Wally thinking about Michael and how he changed Wally’s perspective on Len.

            Then, Len let out a shout. “I’ve got it.”

            Wally jumped out of the chair and flashed around to the other side of the desk. “You do?”

            Len nodded. “The night you all spoke to Savitar, someone opened the box and stole the shard out of it before anyone knew about it.”

            He played the footage for Wally, and betrayal filled his entire body. He couldn’t believe it. He couldn’t believe who was responsible for Savitar returning.

            “We need to get this back to S.T.A.R. Labs,” he decided. “We need to warn Barry.”

 


	10. Lightning Strikes Twice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can thank godaof221b on tumblr for the title of this chapter. I promised I would name a chapter this, so here it is! Sorry my update is late; Irma knocked out our lights and we JUST got them back on today.

            Barry came back from the search wet, smelly, and unhappy. “That’s the last time we try to out-Snart Snart,” he groaned. He needed to take a shower. Or to peel every inch of skin off his body. He pulled a tiny tracker out of his pocket. “Apparently, Leonard found your tracker and flushed it. I found it in the sewers.”

            Caitlin and Cisco pulled their shirts over their noses, and Julian—while standing as far away as humanly possible—took the tracker. “God, Bare,” Cisco gagged. “Did you flush yourself to get down there?”

            Barry shot him a glare, before flashing away quickly, showering at superspeed, and returning in his S.T.A.R. Labs sweats in less than a minute. “Have you figured out any other way to track them down?”

            Caitlin shook her head. “No, but we found help in searching.”

            As if being summoned by her words, a streak of orange lightning flashed into the room. Jay sighed. “Nothing. This ‘Leonard Snart’ is a tough character to find. No wonder he used to be a difficult enemy.”

            “Yeah, well, he’s a difficult friend, too,” Barry snorted. Then, it hit him. “Friend. Who knows more about where you live and where you would go than your best friend?” He grabbed his phone off of the desk, preparing to call Mick.

            “That won’t be necessary, Scarlet.”

            They all turned, shocked, to see Leonard strolling in with Wally at his heels. The latter looked floored, like he learned something that changed everything. “Sorry about the dip in the sewer. Couldn’t have you dragging Wally home before we found out how Savitar is back.”

            Cisco scoffed, disbelieving Savitar’s return out of fear more than anything. Caitlin crossed her arms, listening intently. Julian looked terrified—Barry couldn’t blame him after what the speedster had done to him. Jay stepped up beside Barry, who was conflicted between not wanting Wally to think he thought he was crazy, and desperately hoping it was all a hallucination.

            “What did you find?” the older speedster asked.

            A smirk grew on Leonard’s lips. “There’s a traitor on Team Flash. Someone stole a shard from the stone before young Wallace threw it in the Speed Force. That’s why Savitar has been appearing to him.”

            Barry frowned. “But why is he only reappearing now, if whoever stole it has had it since December?”

            “Good question,” Leonard replied. “Why don’t you ask Savitar right before we throw that last piece of stone back in?”

            Julian tensed. “So… You know who it was? Who took it?”

            Leonard’s eyes darted to Caitlin and Cisco. “Oh, yes. Thanks to your security system—or lack thereof, in certain cases—we were able to catch the thief in the act. Someone separated from the group not long after the stone was brought here and snuck a piece.”

            Cisco let out a long groan. “Oh my god, you’re worse than Tim Currey in clue. Just _tell us._ ”

            “We almost didn’t catch it,” Leonard continued, as though Cisco hadn’t said anything, “it happened too fast.”

            “Like at superspeed,” Wally snarled, glaring holes into the only other speedster who’d been there. Everyone turned to Jay, who didn’t even try to defend himself.

            “Jay,” Barry said slowly, “did you take a shard from the stone?”

            He kept his tone calm and even. Maybe Savitar was using Jay, the same way he’d been using Julian. Caitlin told him about having to talk Cisco down after Savitar made him hallucinate Dante, happy and good again. Aside from the talk about Nora Thompson, Barry didn’t know anything about anyone else in Jay’s life. Was there someone Savitar could’ve used against him?

            Jay didn’t look guilty, just slightly ashamed as he pulled a glowing piece of rock from his pocket. Wally charged forward at superspeeds before anyone could stop him, pinning Jay to the wall. The stone fell from his fingers.

            “Why?” he demanded. “Why did you take a piece? _How could you?_ After everything I saw in the future, how could you?!”

            The future?

            “I’m sorry, Wallace,” Jay sighed. “You have to understand. It’s for my family. It’s to keep everyone safe.”

            But Wally didn’t seem like he was in an ‘understanding’ head space. “ _Your_ family? What about _my_ family? What about Barry, huh? What if that’s how he dies?”

            _Dies?_ Barry was seriously confused. “Wally, what’s going on?” he asked. “What are you talking about?”

            Wally was vibrating in anger, his eyes locked only on Jay. “In the future,” he spat, “you and the Legends are going to fight off against Savitar, Barry. And he’s going to kill you all, and he’s going to make Mick watch right before he kidnaps him.”

            Cisco jumped up from his chair. “What? How do you know?”

            “ _I saw it!_ ” Wally screamed, his grip on Jay tightening. “When I threw the stone into the Speed Force, I ran into the future. All of them—Sara, Nate, Amaya, Ray, Firestorm… They were all dead! Mick was broken on the ground, begging for Savitar not to kill Barry, but he did it anyway!”

            For the first time since his outburst, Wally turned away from Jay, his eyes moving to Barry. “I saw him stab you through the heart. I saw it happen, Barry.”

            He let go of Jay, and his attention darted to the shard of stone on the floor. “I won’t let it happen.”

             Jay barely had time to let out a shout before Wally snatched up the stone and flashed out of the cortex.

             “No…” Jay warned, “he can’t throw the rest of the stone into the Speed Force. We have to stop him.”

            “Why?” Barry demanded. “Why did you keep it? What’s going to happen if you throw the stone in?”

            “Barry.” Jay hung his head, shamefully. “I told you about Nora Thompson, but there’s so much more you don’t know. There isn’t time to make you understand, but I stole the stone because of a vow I made to her. If Wally throws that stone in the Speed Force, it will release Savitar from his prison and set him loose on this Earth to get his revenge.”

            Panic filled him. He couldn’t let Savitar run free again. “Everyone stay here. I’m going after Wally!” he announced, not even taking the time to change back into his Flash suit before speeding away.

            He didn’t know where he was going, or which way Wally even went. Then, there was a pull in his stomach, turning him left, then right, down and around the streets until, finally, he came to the iron mills at the edge of the city.

            Wally stood in an empty area in the center of the mill, a Speed Force portal hovering in front of him.

            “Wally, stop!” he shouted, skidding to a stop just feet away from his foster brother. “Wally, what are you doing?”

            When Wally turned to face him, his eyes were wild and dripping with tears. “Savitar… He’s taunting me, Barry. He’s right there!”

            He pointed at an empty space to Barry’s left.

            “He keeps telling you that he’s going to kill you… I can’t let him take my family!”

            Barry shook his head, searching the area. Last time they’d seen Savitar, anyone with the Speed Force could see him. But there was nothing there. “Wally, I don’t see him. You don’t have to do… whatever you’re going to do. We’re going to figure it out together and stop it, alright?”

            For a second, Wally calmed. Then, his eyes darted behind Barry. “ _Stay away from him!_ ” he screamed. “ _Barry, get out of the way!_ ”

            He sped forward and knocked Barry to the ground, only to be thrown back himself towards the portal. Barry stared, eyes wide.

            Savitar _was_ there. He was only appearing to Wally for some reason, but he was _there_.

            “Wally, whatever he’s saying, don’t listen to him!” Barry warned, pushing himself into a sitting position. But Wally had his hands over his ears, shaking his head frantically.

            “No… No, you won’t! I’m going to stop you!”

            Before Barry could stop him, Wally threw the stone into the portal. For a second, everything was silent. Then, electricity sparked from the portal. A clawed, metal hand stretched out, followed by a helmeted head, and finally, Savitar’s entire armored body crawled out onto the concrete ground.

            Barry and Wally both froze in place, shocked and terrified by the recent development.

            Then, Wally’s feet began to leave the ground. The portal turned into a vortex, an invisible force gripping Wally tight and pulling him into it.

“Barry!” he screamed as he reached for Barry’s hand. “Help me! Help me, Barry!”

            Barry lunged for Wally’s hand but something big knocked him away, pinning him to the ground. Savitar’s clawed, metal hand turned Barry’s head, making him watch as Wally was forcefully drawn into the Speed Force, begging and screaming the entire time.

            Then it was over. Wally was gone, and the portal settled, but stayed open. A sob was lodged in Barry’s throat.

            _“You’re pathetic, Barry,”_ Savitar growled. _“You think that you can protect them, that you’re a hero, but you can’t even teach people not to believe everything they’re told. You don’t deserve this world’s praise.”_

Barry fought against Savitar’s hold on him, but the speedster didn’t even budge. “Who are you?” he demanded. “Why are you doing all of this?”

            _“Because you have something I want,”_ Savitar hissed in his ear. _“And I will_ take _it.”_

There was a hiss, like something opening, and Barry realized it was the back of Savitar’s suit. “After all,” an eerily familiar voice continued, “you won’t be around much longer to enjoy it.”

            The hand against his face eased up, giving him room to shoot out from under the suit’s grasp. What Barry saw made him freeze in his tracks.

            It was him. An exact mirror image, smirking back at him. But… that didn’t make sense. How could Savitar be Barry? Was it a time remnant? Was he some weird future version?

            “I’m sure this is very confusing for you,” Savitar sighed. “I’m sure you have questions, and you probably want to dash to S.T.A.R. Labs to warn them all—I took out all of the security cameras, by the way. No one knows what I look like except you, Barry—but I would reconsider. After all, that portal…”

            He glanced back at the Speed Force portal still swirling behind him. “It’s not going to stay open forever, and you know how temperamental the Speed Force can be. Rumor around the water cooler is that they aren’t very happy with you right now, after Flashpoint. A lot of people aren’t.”

“So, maybe you can open a portal like that again and save dear Wally from his fate later… Or maybe, _just maybe_ , if you don’t take the chance now, poor Kid Flash is going to be a permanent resident. You should ask your precious Jay Garrick about that.”

            Barry had questions— _so many questions_ —but the thought of leaving Wally behind weighed on him. Save him… or warn everyone else?

            Joe and Iris were back at S.T.A.R. Labs. So were Caitlin, Cisco, and Jay. They could all take Savitar on if he tried something. Wally, though…who knew how much time he had?

            Without giving himself a chance to second guess things, Barry flashed towards the portal, ignoring the laugh that followed him.

 


	11. Hold on to me (cuz I'm a little unsteady)

            He shouldn’t have cared. He was a criminal. A cold-hearted criminal. So, what if the Flash and foster brother ran off without anyone knowing where they were going? So, what if it’d been almost an hour since they’d heard from either of them?

            He did care, though. He cared about Barry, his once enemy who had grown on him, slowly worming his way through his barriers, until he counted the Flash as one of his dearest friends.

            And, damn him, he cared about Wallace. How that kid was able to charm him, seduce him, _awaken something in him he’d thought died_ …he couldn’t say what caused it, or why. Only that, the longer he and Barry were gone, the heavier his heart felt.

            “Anything yet?” He asked for what was probably the third time.

            Cisco rolled his eyes. “Would I have kept quiet if I’d heard anything?”

            He was just as worried as Len, but that didn’t make Len want to shoot him any less. They’d locked Jay in the Pipeline not long after the other speedsters left until it was proven he could be trusted. Joe and Iris were on their way to the labs after an unsuccessful search of their own. HR was…somewhere, he wasn’t sure. Julian was back at the lab, in case something was called in.

Len was sort of relieved that it was just him and the nerds of Team Flash. They were familiar and less of a threat than the others, even with their newfound powers.

Caitlin squeezed her eyes shut and took a deep breath. “They should be back by now. There’s only one thing that would keep them this long.”

            The desk began to frost under her hands. Cisco quickly took one in his, not even flinching at the cold burn Len was certain he felt. “They’ll be alright, Cait,” he reassured. “Don’t think about what Wally said earlier. Savitar isn’t going to kill them.”

            Len wished he felt as confident as Cisco sounded. He continued pacing, until the sound of running footsteps came from the hall.

            They all turned, shocked when Barry practically collapsed in the doorway, covered in cuts and bruises, his lip busted and bleeding. Len rushed forward to catch him. “Scarlet! What happened?”

            Barry swallowed hard. His heart was pounding a mile a minute, and he was gasping for breath. “S…Savitar…he’s right…behind me…”

            The warning almost came too late. The armored speedster sped into the room faster than any of them could see. But they _could see him_. Len’s heart sank. Barry failed. Wallace accidentally released Savitar. What happened to him?

            He didn’t wait to find out. Without hesitation, Len drew his gun and fired on the monster. Caitlin followed his lead, using her own abilities to deep chill the speedster herself.

            Savitar shivered and took a step back, then another. When he couldn’t handle anymore, just as Len was about to run out of juice in his gun, he darted back out again to lick his wounds.

            Cisco had moved during the assault to Barry’s side, wrapping his arms comfortingly around him and coaxing him to stand back up.

            Barry shivered. “Thank you…I tried, but Savitar…I thought he was powerful before, but he’s even stronger now that he’s free.”

            “Barry,” Len spoke up, “what happened to Kid Flash? Where’s Wallace?”

            Barry’s gaze fell to the floor. “When he freed Savitar, the Speed Force took him as his replacement. He’s somewhere in the Speed Force, living his worst nightmare. I tried to go after him, but the Speed Force wouldn’t let me. They think that, since I created Flashpoint, I’m unworthy of their help. Then, Savitar attacked. He attacked me until I was so weak, I couldn’t use my speed anymore. But I think…”

He frowned. “I think he told me who he is.”

All of the air was sucked from the room. If they knew who Savitar was, maybe they could use it against him. “Who, Barry?” Caitlin asked.

But Barry’s frown only deepened. “I…I can’t remember. I remember the sound of him stepping out of his suit, I remember that it’s someone we know, but I can’t remember _who_.”

He dug the heel of his hand into his forehead in frustration. Len tried not to show how despairing he felt. Wallace was trapped in his worst nightmare, in a place where Len couldn’t go after him, and the mad speedster who put him there was now on the loose, the only clue to his identity gone.

His train of thought was broken by Iris and Joe walking into the cortex, only to run when they saw Barry.

“Oh, my god, we were worried!” Iris exclaimed, throwing her arms around him.

            Joe grabbed both of them. “I thought the worst, Bare,” he shivered, tightening his hold around his children. When he pulled away, he cast his eyes around the room with a frown. “Where…where’s Wally?”

            When Barry gave his family the most heartbroken look he’d seen Barry ever give, Len knew the happy reunion was about to end.

0000000

            Mick actually finished the swing quicker than he thought he would. He proudly stepped away from where it was hanging in front of their living room window and pictured him and Barry, their hair grey and kids out of the house, swinging peacefully in the breeze, watching the sunset together.

            It was like the stories his grandma used to tell him about her marriage. His heart buzzed.

            As did the phone in his pocket. He glanced down— _5:25, get dressed and meet Doll at STAR._ He shut off the alarm and, giving one last longing look at the swing, headed into the house.

            “What do you think of it, Ginny?” he asked as he run up the stairs, two at a time.

            _“I believe Mr. Allen is going to love it, Mr. Allen.”_

            “We haven’t settled on that yet,” Mick snapped. “But thanks, Gin.” He stripped out of his clothes the second he stepped in the bedroom and walked into the bathroom. A quick shower, change into the button up and dress pants that he knew drove Barry crazy…

            He caught a look at himself in the mirror, noticing the dark stubble growing on his face. Barry had mentioned in passing, during their honeymoon, that his Flashpoint counterpart had some facial hair, and how hot he’d found it.

            Mick smirked fondly at himself. Nothing wrong with trying it out, especially when Barry was right, and it meant less shaving.

            By the time he took a shower, got dressed, and headed down the stairs, it was 5:40. “Gin,” he called, grabbing the keys to his truck, “when we come back, can you play some music and dim the lights a bit?”

            _“I can also have a warm bath drawn for you both, if you’re implying setting a romantic atmosphere for Mr. Rory-Allen.”_

He wrinkled his nose at the name, but nodded. “Thanks, Gin.”

            He broke the speed limit on almost every road to get to STAR Labs, but, still, he was fifteen minutes late. He loved the farmhouse, but _damn_ it was far out of town.

He grabbed special something he’d picked for Barry from the yard—a white rose from the bush by their front gate, left by the house’s previous owners.

            He wasn’t one for flowers and wooing, but he knew Barry went crazy for it. Strolling into STAR Labs through the back entrance, since the front was now a museum, he headed for the six-hundredth floor. Once he stepped off the elevator, he could hear voices in the cortex—Len’s, Ramon’s, Snow’s, the West’s. When he heard Barry’s, a giant grin grew on his lips.

            Call him a sap, but hearing his husband’s voice, seeing his face, even just _thinking_ about him, lit Mick up like a wildfire. He just loved him so much.

            He hurried towards the cortex, pausing in the doorway when he realized something happened. The West’s—well, Joe and Iris—were both leaned against the desk like it was the only thing holding them up, thousand-mile stares in their eyes. Len was pacing. Ramon was typing away at his computer. He finally caught sight of Barry in the med area with Snow. His face was scratched and beaten, but he was alive. That was the important part.

            _Something happened to Baby Flash, then_ , his mind lent. He stepped inside, clearing his throat.

            Everyone’s attention went to Mick, but the person he became focused on was Barry. The speedster jumped off the bed and ran—normal speed—into the cortex, a joyful smile on his face, like he’d never been happier to see Mick in his life.

            “Mick.” He looked over him so lovingly, so purely.

It must have been a shock when Mick pulled a gun out of his waistband and pointed it the other man’s head.

            A collective gasp came over the room, but Mick ignored them.

            “Who the hell are you?” he demanded. “And what have you done with my husband?”


	12. I've got nothing left to prove (Cause I've got nothing left to lose)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After this, I actually have to start writing every week to update. Sigh. Enjoy my last pre-written chapter. Also, all guesses will be answered

West pulled his gun on Mick. Reacting on instinct, Len pulled his gun on the detective. Iris grabbed Caitlin and pulled her out of the line of fire, while Barry stood stock still, his eyes wide.

            “Mick, what are you doing?”

            Len expected Mick’s expression to soften, for that gentle gaze to appear that he saved for Barry. Instead, Mick was staring at his husband with hate and anger.

            “Who are you?” he demanded. “What the hell have you done with my husband?”

            “I _am_ Barry, Mick.”

            “Rory…” West warned. “Lower your weapon, or I don’t care how much my son loves you, I will drop you.”

            “I wouldn’t if I were you, West.” Len’s gun whirred to life. He wasn’t sure what was going through Mick’s mind, but he knew he wouldn’t point his gun at Barry without reason. He turned his attention to Mick. “Are you completely positive?”

            Mick nodded solemnly. “I’ve met future Barry, the Speed Force pretending to be Barry, past Barrys; I know _my_ Barry. This ain’t him. His eyes…there’s something broken and twisted, like one of them psycho kids in juvie that instigated fights so they could see other kids get hurt. It ain’t Barry.” 

            Barry shook his head. “Mick, no, it’s me. I swear. Ask me anything, and I’ll answer it.”

            Something sparked behind Mick’s eyes. “Of course you would…because you know everything about Barry. Because you spied on him from the Speed Force… _Savitar._ ”

            It was like a switch had been thrown. Barry’s shocked, fearful expression melted away. His smile turned into some cracked copy of Barry’s, and all the tension melted away from his body.

            “I’m impressed,” he cooed, stepping closer, so Mick’s gun was pressed against his chest. “Really, why any of these people believe you’re an idiot is beyond me. I fooled his best friends, his family…even Barry was confused seeing me. But never you, Mick Rory.”

            His eyes flickered appreciatively over Mick. “Never you…”

            Len turned his gun to Savitar, West doing the same. “You son of a bitch,” the detective growled. “Where are my sons?”

            Savitar’s smile transformed into a cruel smirk as he turned to West. “I wasn’t _completely_ lying. Wally was sucked into the Speed Force, to take my place in the prison I was forced into. Barry went in after him, but if I were you, I wouldn’t expect to see him again.”

            “And why is that?” Len snarled, resisting the urge to freeze the speedster where he stood.

            “Because someone has to fill the spot in the prison, or the entire construct will collapse and destroy the multiverse.”

            He laughed at the horrified faces that suddenly filled the room. Now, Len _really_ wanted to shoot him.

            Mick stepped even closer, moving his gun so it was pointed directly under Savitar’s chin. “How do we get Barry back?”

            Savitar’s smirk fell as he looked over Mick. In fact, his entire demeanor changed. It was like, when he spoke to Mick, a flip switched, and he was suddenly kind and concerned. “ _You_ can’t, Mick,” he whispered, like it was an intimate secret between them. “There’s nothing any of you can do to save Barry. There’s no way to get into the Speed Force without being chosen. Not even Cisco could. Only a speedster can, and, I’m sorry, but I have no intention of opening a portal for Barry Allen.”

            His lip curled up at the name, and Len wondered what Barry could’ve possibly done that pissed Savitar off so badly. He filed the question away for another day—they had their solution.

            “Lucky for us,” he drawled, “we have a speedster tucked away. We don’t really need you.”

            Smirking at the wide-eyed expression Savitar gave, Len pulled the trigger on his gun.

0000000

The Speed Force wasn’t what Barry remembered. The last time he’d been inside, everything had been bright and colorful, if not _too_ much.

            Now, though, everything was muted and monochrome, like an old movie. There was a chill in the air, and Barry crossed his arms to block himself from the cold.

            “Wally?” he called out. He was standing in STAR Labs, in the speed lab, but there was no one there. No Wally, no Savitar, not even the Speed Force posing as one of his loved ones.

            There was something watching him, though. Something lurking just out of the corner of his eye.

            “Hello?” he called again, but there was no answer. He sighed as he headed out to the hall. “Hello?”

            Still, nothing.

            He flashed out of the lab area and into the museum, hoping to find a sign of… _anyone_. Suddenly, the room started to shake violently, like an earthquake. The feeling like he was intruding washed over him.

            _LEAVE NOW. YOU’RE NO LONGER WELCOME, BARRY ALLEN._

He didn’t hear the word, per say, but he understood them in his head. “I can’t leave!” he shouted. “Wally is trapped in here! I need to save him!”

            _YOU’LL FIND NO HELP FROM US. LEAVE, OR YOU WILL BE FORCED._

“I’m _not_ going anywhere!”

            Just as suddenly as the shaking started, it came to a stop. Barry stiffened, unsure of what was happening or what the Speed Force had planned. A chill blew through the room, making him shiver. He felt eyes on him again.

            He stepped forward, only to leap back when a ghostly wraith came up through the floor in front of him. Barry screamed as the wraith flew at him, and flashed out of the building as fast as he could. He knew he couldn’t outrun it—not in its own territory—but maybe he could find a place to hide from it. He headed towards somewhere familiar, somewhere he interpreted as safe— _the West House._

            The wraith stayed on his heels, though, all the way through the front door. When it’s freezing hand finally snagged on the back of Barry’s shirt, he knew he was done for. He fell to the floor, out of the hands of the wraith and waited. Waited for whatever end the Speed Force had planned for him. Waited for the cold, unforgiving, merciless fingers of death.

            But the cold fingers never came. Instead, a flash of yellow lightning erupted in front of him, throwing the wraith back.

            His savior slid to a stop in front of him, holding his hand out to help Barry to his feet.

            “Come with me if you want to live.”

0000000

            Considering that, for the second time in less than twenty-four hours, Barry had found himself staring at his own face, in his own eyes, he thought he was dealing pretty well.

            At first, he’d considered refusing the other Barry’s hand. After all, the last one he’d met was Savitar and wanted to kill him. But this one…there was something different about him. A twinkle in his eye, softened by an old sadness. Barry knew he could trust this version of himself. So, he accepted his help.

            The other Barry flashed them away, finally coming to a stop in a familiar farmhouse. “We’re hiding out in my own house?”

            Other Barry nodded. “The Speed Force won’t send Time Wraiths here. They gave me this as a peaceful place for my afterlife. No one can come here I don’t want.”

            Barry was confused. “You’re not Savitar.” It wasn’t really a question, but Other Barry answered anyway.

            “No, I’m not. I’m you. Savitar is…something different. Trust me, I’ve heard him bungling around enough out there, trying to find a way out. Looks like he finally did.”

            He took off his coat—now that Barry really looked at him, he could see that he’d been wearing a long black coat over what looked like cargo pants and a black t-shirt with boots. Other Barry was also older. Though most people wouldn’t be able to tell, Barry could spot the odd gray hair hidden in his hair, the few wrinkles that didn’t belong.

            “You’re a future version of me.” He realized. “The one who travelled with the Legends…the one from the alternate 2023.”

            Other Barry chuckled humorlessly. “Groddpocalypse. Be glad you dodged that bullet. It sucked.” He headed for the kitchen, glancing over his shoulder like he expected Barry to follow. “Well, come on, Barry. If you want to save Wally, we have to hurry. There isn’t much time.”

            Barry shook himself from his trance and followed, so many questions floating through his head. “What are you doing here?” He decided to ask first. “Mick told me you blew yourself up.”

            “I did.” Other Barry—Bare, he chose to call him—replied. “I defeated the Time Masters, stuck it to them for destroying our lives, and I woke up here.” He motioned around him. “We all end up here when we die. The Speed Force is…complicated. They like to hold on to their chosen. You should see what they did to Zolomon, or what they’re going to do with Thawne, once they finally catch up with him.”

            “So, I’ll end up here, too? When I die?”

            “Probably. Though, if it’s a comfort, they might let Mick stay with you. They seem fond of him.”

            Barry chuckled quietly. Leave it to Mick to charm an all-powerful entity like the Speed Force. “I’m glad you two got married, that you’re happy.” Bare continued. “You both seem…lighter.”

            Barry sighed as they made it to the kitchen, plopping on a stool while Bare grabbed two grape sodas from the fridge. “Well, we haven’t been able to really enjoy the married life to the fullest, yet, aside from the honeymoon. We’ve only been back a few days and already ‘the Flash’ is messing things up.”

            Bare raised an eyebrow and handed one of the sodas to Barry. “Wow. Joe was right—it is weird when we refer to ourselves in third person. And ‘the Flash’ isn’t messing things up. Savitar is, and you’re going to stop him.”

            He wished that he had Bare’s level of confidence—though, he supposed he did, considering he _was_ him. He frowned. _Was him…_

“Savitar…” he whispered. “Savitar looked just like me. It was like looking in a mirror. What is he?”

            He glanced over at Bare, who was drinking his soda almost sheepishly. “Well…there’s a reason for that. He _is_ you…us. Another version of us, but a valid copy, all the same.”

            Barry furrowed his brow. “Like a time remnant?”

            Bare shook his head. “Like a doppelganger. Our doppelganger from another Earth. His name is Malcolm Thawne.”

            Barry just felt more confused. Thawne? Why was his name different? What happened to his version of Henry and Nora Allen? Why would his doppelganger want him dead?

            “I can practically hear you freaking out in your head,” Bare snorted. “I don’t know everything about him, but what I do know is that he was put up for adoption at birth and taken in by the Thawne family. About seventeen, maybe eighteen years later, the Thawne’s went missing and Malcolm started threatening his city with his newfound speedster powers. Jay Garrick trapped him in the Speed Force though, and he’s been in here for the past ten years, until now.”

            Barry froze. “ _Jay_ trapped him? So, all this time, Jay _knew_ who Savitar was? Is that why he kept the shard of stone?”

            Bare sighed. “Barry, I don’t have those answers. All I know is that Savitar was terrorizing Earth-3 when Jay stopped him.”

            “He was _on_ Earth-3?” Barry asked, frowning. Bare nodded. “Why was he there? Why not on his Earth?”

            “Like I said, I don’t have all the answers. Maybe he has some kind of tie to Earth-3.” Bare’s eyes widened as they were both hit with the same realization. “You don’t think…”

            “There was a Nora on Earth-3 who Jay fell in love with,” Barry pointed out. “And he said he was keeping a promise to her by keeping the stone.”

            He still couldn’t believe it, though.

            Savitar—Malcolm Thawne—was Jay Garrick’s _son?_

                       

 


	13. Slow change may pull us apart

            Mick dragged Savitar by a rope towards the pipeline, the speedster alternating between scowling at Len—who walked to his right with a satisfied smirk, like he was gleefully replaying freezing everything from the speedster’s neck down in his head—and watching the rest of Team Flash walking behind them with longing and fondness.

            “My name isn’t Barry, y’know,” he spoke up, halfway to their destination.

            “We don’t care,” Len drawled, but Mick could feel Savitar’s eyes on his back.

            “ _You_ don’t, but I’m sure the others would love to know about me. Isn’t that right?”

            Cisco opened his mouth, but Len shot a glare back at him. “No,” he warned. “No one wants to know anything about you. Now shut up before I freeze your mouth shut.”

            Really, Len should’ve known better than to think that threats would scare someone like Savitar. “Awww, worried about what I know, Captain Cold? Because I know _everything_ about _all_ of you. Including your little _dalliance_ with a certain young hero.”

            Behind them, someone stumbled. Mick was almost positive it was Cisco. “Don’t worry, though,” Savitar continued. “I don’t care about your secrets. In fact, there’s only one person in here who I really care about.”

            Savitar’s eyes slid slowly down Mick’s back. He pushed down a shudder, glad when they finally made it to the cell where West had thrown Garrick. While Cisco stepped forward to push some buttons on the control panel, Mick dared to glance back at his husband’s lookalike.

            He was just as handsome as Barry. There was still that little spark of joyful mischief in his eyes. Those beautiful freckles still decorated his skin. What could’ve happened to make this Barry a psychopath?

            Savitar started glancing fearfully between Cisco and the door to the cell. “You don’t want to let him out,” he warned, shaking. Mick’s heart lurched, but he had to remind himself that Savitar wasn’t his Barry. “How can you trust him after what he did? He would betray anyone in here, believe me. Jay Garrick is a heartless bastard who doesn’t care about anyone else.”

            Cisco ignored him, smacking his handprint on the control panel to open the door.

            “Seriously!” Savitar almost shouted. “Don’t, Cisco! I…I’ll let Wally out, just don’t…”

            Mick tensed—what was Savitar so afraid of? Was this Jay Garrick secretly as twisted as the last Jay Garrick was? But it was too late to worry; the door slid open to reveal his doppelganger father-in-law.

            Garrick was leaned against the wall of his cell, his eyes puffy and his hair sticking up like he’d been pulling at it. Mick almost laughed—Barry did the same thing when he was upset. The second he glanced out the open door, though, his eyes widened.

            “Malcolm…” He stepped out slowly, like he couldn’t believe what he was looking at. Mick tried not to let his confusion show too much as Garrick raised a hand slowly to rest on Savitar’s cheek.

            The other speedster jerked away before their skin even touched, a snarl on his lips. “Hey, _Dad_.”

            All of the air was sucked out of the room by a collective gasp. Mick glanced between the pair, and suddenly, it all made sense. “You’re from Earth-3. Barry’s doppelganger.”

            Savitar nodded, his eyes staying locked on Garrick. “Until I was betrayed by my own father, locked away in the Speed Force for ten years.”

            There were tears forming in Garrick’s eyes as he shook his head. “No…no, I didn’t know. I didn’t know who you were then. If I’d known…”

            “I don’t care what you would’ve done,” Savitar snarled back. Without warning, his entire body started to vibrate, and Mick barely had time to shield his eyes before the ice covering Savitar exploded outward. Cisco and Len were thrown back against the walls by the force, and Mick was knocked to the ground beside Garrick. Savitar sped over to grab his father by his collar and pulled him close, so he could hiss in his face. “You chose him over me. Now, he’s trapped in the Speed Force, doomed to live in the prison you locked me away in to save his family.”

            Garrick shook his head. “Malcolm, I didn’t _choose_ Barry. I didn’t know until I met him that—”

            “Spare me your excuses!” Savitar shouted. “There’s only one way for you to save him now…” He leaned in close and whispered something in his ear. Mick couldn’t understand, but Garrick’s eyes widened with horror at whatever his son was telling him. When he was done, Savitar dropped the older speedster carelessly back onto the floor and turned his attention to Mick.

            Immediately, his expression softened. “I’ll see you again, Mick. Next time, it’ll be better circumstances.” He sent a wink before the room erupted in blue lightning, and Savitar disappeared.

0000000

            Barry’s head was spinning as Bare led him through the silent mockup of Central. Neither dared use their powers out of fear that the wraiths would sense their presence. Between that and the quiet, all Barry could focus his mind on was Savitar.

            How could Savitar be a version of him? What could’ve happened that drove Malcolm Thawne into becoming a psychopath? Jay had mentioned a Nora Thompson—she had to be Malcolm’s mother. Had she raised Malcolm? What had happened between them?

            And then there was Jay.

Savitar being his doppelganger was one thing, but knowing that Jay had trapped his own _son_ into the Speed Force? That he’d looked Barry in the eye so many times, yet never once thought to mention what he’d done to his doppelganger? What kind of man did that make him? What kind of person had he been looking up to for the past few months?

“You okay, Barry?”

He was snapped out of his thoughts by Bare’s voice. He almost nodded, but a raised eyebrow from his future self stopped him. Of course, Bare wouldn’t buy that. “No,” he sighed. “No, I’m not. Savitar is me— _us_ —and Jay’s son, and he’s going to kill me in less than three months and take Mick, and I don’t know what the hell I’m going to do about all of it.”

            Bare rested a hand on his shoulder and offered a sad smile. “I know it’s hard, but right now, you need to focus on saving Wally, alright? You’re no good to anyone if your mind is split between two things. Trust me, I have more experience than you.”

            “And about that,” Barry frowned, “how are you still around if I’m going to die?”

            Bare rolled his eyes. “Well, for one thing, I’m not future _you_. I’m the future version of an alternative you that doesn’t exist because the Legends defeated Vandal Savage. More importantly, though, the future isn’t set. There is no certain outcome that says you have to die, Barry. If there’s one thing that our relationship with Mick has taught me, it’s that time is free and changeable. Don’t focus on the future—focus on the _now_.”

            It should’ve been reassuring, but that niggle of doubt stayed in his stomach, even as they approached the doorway of the hospital. Barry paused.

            “Are you sure he’s in there?”

            Bare nodded up at one of the windows of the hospital. A flash of lightning lit up an entire row of windows three floors up. “That’s the Speed Force’s new guard dog. They only use him to hunt speedsters down or keep them imprisoned. Recently, it’s been used to both guard Savitar and track down Reverse Flash, but since he’s here now…”

            “…it means Wally is in the hospital.” Barry finished for him.

            “Exactly. Now, all we need is to sneak inside without the guard noticing, grab Wally, and then, you two can escape.”

            It sounded so simple when Bare said it, but they didn’t even know what they were going to find inside the hospital, or what the prison was going to be on the inside. But Bare squeezed his shoulder with a reassuring smile.

            “It’s all going to work out, Barry. I promise. I _will_ get you and Wally home.”

            There was a confidence and strength to Bare’s words, something that must have come from having to find hope in a hopeless world. With an encouraging grin, Bare pushed open the doors to the hospital and led the way inside.

            The hallways were dark and empty, with only faint streaks of dimmed sunlight shining lighting the way. Bare continued confidently, while Barry hung back, worried about the surprises the Speed Force had for them.

            They made it to the stairwell, when, suddenly, Bare grabbed him by his shirt and dragged him back against the wall, into the shadows. Before Barry could say a word, red lightning shot past them, followed by a heavy gust of wind. He let out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding after a few seconds, his heart racing even faster than usual.

            “What… _the hell_ …was that?”

            “Black Flash,” Bare whispered. “That’s what I call him, anyway. He’s what happens when you mix a speedster and a wraith. Faster and deadlier than anything else.”

            He patted Barry on the shoulder and stepped out of the shadows. “Come on, we have to hurry.”

            They ran at normal speeds up the stairs, not sure where they were going or where Wally was even being kept. When they came to the third floor, Barry felt a pull in his stomach. He and Bare both froze in place.

            “Did you feel—?”

            Bare nodded, turning towards the hall to their right. “He’s down there.”

            Barry followed the pull, taking him past empty hospital room after empty hospital room, until, finally, it stopped. When he looked inside, his heart shattered.

            Wally stood beside a hospital bed, hunched over and small, trembling weakly. In the bed was Francine West in what Barry could only assume were her last moments.

            He reached for the door handle, prepared to barge in and sweep Wally away, when something collided with him, knocking him to the ground. Head swimming, Barry looked up, fearfully, at his attacker.

            Standing above him, holding Bare off the ground by his throat and sneering down at him, was Hunter Zolomon.


	14. I couldn't get away

Zoom was just as terrifying as Barry remembered, only now, his face was sunken in and ragged, like a corpse. That made him no less the man who stole his father from him, who almost stole Mick from him. Barry’s stomach twisted in hate.

            “Hello, Barry,” the dark speedster chuckled. “Long time, no see.”

            He tightened his grip around Bare’s throat, making him cough and gasp for air. Barry growled. “What are you doing here, Zolomon? I thought you were dead.”

            A gravelly laugh bounced off the walls. “Oh, I am, thanks to you. The Speed Force, however, decided that I still had some usefulness. With my speed and killer instinct, I’ve made the perfect hunter for them.”

            With a grunt, he threw Bare on top of Barry, both groaning in pain at the impact. Bare pushed himself up first.

            “You can’t kill me, Zolomon,” he snarled. “I’m already dead, like you.”

            Zolomon laughed again. “You think I’m here to stop you? On the contrary—I’m here to watch the show. You know the rules of this prison as well as I do. One speedster comes out, another has to take their place.”

            Barry’s eyes widened. He didn’t know that—no wonder Savitar had been so eager to send him after Wally. He wanted Barry to be trapped in his place. How could his own doppelganger hate him so much?

            “That’s not going to happen,” Bare shot back, but Zolomon shook his head.

            “You’re just as big a fool in 2023 as you were in 2016, Barry. You believe that you can sacrifice yourself for your past self and take Wally’s place in the prison. But you see,” he knelt down in front of them, “this one is the only speedster here who can, because, unlike you, he doesn’t belong here. It has to be a _living_ speedster in the prison, or else it wouldn’t be a prison.”

             Bare’s face fell, his eyes flickering between Barry and the door. “No…no, you’re lying!”

            “I don’t need to. Barry Allen is the only one who can take his foster brother’s place, and live in his worst nightmare until the end of time. Tell me, Barry, what do you think that will be? Watching Reverse Flash murder your mother again and again? Or watching me shove my hand through your father’s chest, while you were too slow and weak to save him? Or, maybe, it will be me throwing your precious pyro off that building, only this time, he becomes a permanent addition to the sidewalk? The possibilities are endless and delicious.”

            Barry rose to his feet. It didn’t matter what happened to him. He needed to get Wally out. They would find a way to save him, but, for now, Wally had already been locked away longer than he should’ve. Had been suffering more than he should have.

            “Barry, no!” Bare shouted, darting to intercept him, but Zolomon grabbed him and dragged him back, watching gleefully as Barry approached the door to Savitar’s prison.

            With a sigh, he turned the door handle and walked inside.

0000000

            Wally was breaking. Every moment that passed was the moment his mom passed—the moment he wasn’t there for. She asked for him and asked for him, but didn’t hear when he tried assuring her that he was there. It was like he was a ghost in the hospital room, leaving his mother to die alone, feeling like her own son abandoned her.

            He was sunken, heavy, his heart ripped to pieces. With each time the scene replayed, he was sliced open a little bit more. He didn’t know how long he’d been trapped—hours, days, months, _years_. It all blended together. All he knew was that he wanted it to end.

            He didn’t hear the door behind him, or the calls of his name, but he did feel the warm hand fall on his shoulder, and, finally, Wally’s nightmare ended.

            “Wally? Wally, you’re okay now. You’re safe.”

            He turned slowly, his eyes watering when they fell on Barry, his brother, his family, there to rescue him.

The hospital bed disappeared. In fact, the entire room melted away into grey, until it was Barry and Wally standing in a void.

He frowned. “Barry…what’s happening?”

Silently, Barry threw his arms around Wally and pulled him into a hug. “It’s okay,” he whispered. “It’s all going to be okay.”

With that, Barry pulled away and walked deeper into the prison. Wally was confused, until a new scene appeared. This time, they were outside STAR Labs. There was a man standing across from Barry, dressed in weird, futuristic armor, with a rifle-like weapon strapped to his back.

Barry tensed, but didn’t move as the man charged him. The man swung a punch at Barry, who easily ducked out of the way. “Wait, stop…!”

But the man didn’t listen. He swung again, and Barry flashed away. “Please, Chronos— _Mick_ —stop!”

Mick didn’t, though. Instead, he drew his rifle and fired. Barry darted around, missing the blasts, but Wally knew that this was going to end with either Mick killing Barry, or Barry being forced to put Mick down. And then, it would start all over again.

There was a thud outside of the prison. Wally ripped his eyes away from the fight in front of him just in time to see a door open out of nowhere and Jay Garrick rushing inside. On the other side of the door, there was another Barry fighting what looked like a zombified version of Zoom.

“Jay, what…?”

But Jay only had eyes for Barry. He stepped up to him slowly, the blasts from Mick’s rifle going right through him. When he stopped in front of him, he grabbed him by the shoulders. Mick disappeared. The room turned grey again. Barry snapped out of whatever daze the prison had him in.

When he saw Jay, he frowned. “What are you doing here? How did you…?”

Jay shushed him. “I’m sorry, Barry. I’m sorry that you have to suffer for what I did. Please…spare him. I know what happened to Reverse Flash and Zoom…don’t let that happen to my son.” He leaned forward and pressed a kiss to Barry’s forehead, the way a father would his son. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

He stepped back, and Wally could see the exact moment Barry realized what he was about to do. “No. No, Jay, you can’t!”

Jay looked back at Wally. “Get him out of here, Wallace. Protect your family. Stop the future.”

Wally nodded, flashing forward to grab Barry around the waist. Barry struggled, but Wally managed to pull him towards the prison door. In front of their eyes, the room morphed again, but they didn’t stick around to see what it became. With a kick of speed, Wally ran Barry out of the prison, the door snapping shut behind them.

In the hospital hall, Zoom was gone, and the other Barry was staring sadly at the door.


	15. A sanctuary safe and strong

            Barry was sleeping soundly in their bed, somehow. Mick considered them all lucky—Wally for having someone like Barry to come after him; Barry for having the friends he did with Garrick sacrificing himself for him and Snow having enough speedster sedative so he could sleep; and Mick for being able to hold his husband, to watch him sleep.

He couldn’t lose Barry. For a moment, when Wally dragged him through the Speed Force, he’d thought maybe something happened. Maybe Barry hadn’t made it. But then, he saw him fighting, trying to go back right up until the portal closed behind them. He never cared for Garrick, but, now, he could kiss the man.

Because of him, Barry was with him.

He relaxed against the headboard, watching his husband lovingly. He’d sacrifice every speedster in the multiverse if it meant his Barry was there, alive and well. Barry sniffled, digging his face further into his pillow, and Mick shushed him, stroking his fingers across his husband’s shoulder. He began to hum—the same song his mother and grandmother hummed to him—and Barry relaxed.

He let his eyes drift shut as he hummed, feeling safe under Ginny’s watchful surveillance. It was hours later when he was woken up by a presence in their bedroom. Every nerve in his body was on edge as he jerked up, the gun from the side table in his hand and pointed at the figure standing at the end of the bed.

He frowned. Barry raised an unimpressed eyebrow at the gun. But…he glanced to his left, where Barry was sound asleep, curled up with his pillow. His first thought was Savitar…but that couldn’t be right.

That Barry held a finger to his lips and nodded for Mick to follow him out of the room. As carefully as he could, Mick climbed out of bed, looking back at his Barry to make sure he was still asleep.

The other Barry led him out into the hall, down the stairs, and out into the back field. When he turned to face Mick again, he finally realized what he was dealing with.

“Ah, hell,” he groaned. “Not you again.”

The Speed Force smiled fondly at him. “It’s nice to see you, too, Mick. We’ve missed you.”

Mick rolled his eyes. He didn’t have the patience for this. “What do you want?”

The Speed Force sighed, turning their gaze to the starry sky. “We want you to tell Barry that we won’t be helping him with Malcolm Thawne as we did with Hunter Zolomon. This time, he’s on his own.”

A fury filled Mick. If he thought they would’ve let him, he would’ve thrown them against the side of the house. “So that’s it? You fuckers give him speed, cause all of this, and then abandon him?”

“Barry has betrayed us,” the Speed Force replied calmly. “By creating Flashpoint, he has brought this threat on himself. We cannot get involved in the war between them, no matter what the cost will be.”

“He saved his mother!” Mick argued. “Anyone would do that! Are you saying that, because of that, Savitar deserves to win? That monster deserves to take everything from Barry?”

The field grew quiet for a moment, before the Speed Force hung their head. “Malcolm Thawne is no monster, Mick. Like it or not, he _is_ Barry Allen, and we love him the same as _we love_ Barry Allen. We cannot choose between them. We don’t have the luxury you do.”

Mick frowned. “Luxury? What the hell does that mean?”

The Speed Force sighed deeply, one that seemed to come all the way from their toes. “There are many realities where Barry Allen was chosen to harness our power. We weren’t sure which would be the… _proper_ choice for our purposes. We chose Malcolm before we chose Barry. We believed that between his father being chosen and the tragedy of losing his mother, he was the right choice. But, we underestimated how broken Malcolm was.

“Unlike Barry, he was raised with no love in his life. There was no Joe or Iris West, no Cisco Ramon and Caitlin Snow, no Mick Rory…” They shook their head. “He became violent, unsteady, and, eventually, his own father was forced to lock him away. We didn’t lose hope, though. We were already… _interfering_ with yours and Barry’s lives, deciding he was the perfect choice. But, still, we loved Malcolm and wanted him to be happy. We thought that, if we showed him what love was, he would want to find it in his life. So, we showed him you and Barry.”

“And that made things worse,” Mick assumed.

The Speed Force nodded. “Instead of wanting to find his own love, he became obsessed with Barry—with you. Watching yours and Barry’s love story, Malcolm Thawne fell in love with you himself. He’s convinced that you’re his perfect match, the only one who could ever truly love him. His mission is to take Barry’s life for himself, but, in the end, _you_ are his ultimate prize.”

Mick took a second to consider it. He’d never had someone gunning directly for him before. He wasn’t sure if it was better or worse that he didn’t want to kill him. “So, without you interfering, how are we supposed to stop him?”

The Speed Force looked back up at the sky, intentionally keeping their gaze away from Mick. “We don’t know. Malcolm…he’s brilliant. He knows how to fix the game to his advantage. You won’t be able to stop him as heroes, or as villains. And you can’t do it alone. However, we will give you one piece of advice. It’s the only help Barry will receive.”

Mick perked, ready to hear anything that could help.

“You must tell Barry to go to 2024. There, he will find the one who will eventually stop Malcolm. He must know what the cost is. Tell him that the future _will_ happen. There is no preventing it. There are ways of preventing the consequences of it, though.”

They turned back to Mick with sorrowful eyes, reaching one hand to touch his cheek. “We’re sorry you must suffer for this. It wasn’t our intention. You will always remain our favorite human, Mick Rory.”

His eyes drifted shut, and when he opened them again, he was lying in bed. Barry’s head was resting on his shoulder, his face relaxed and peaceful. All Mick wanted to do was fry anyone who wanted to hurt him. But how could he stop someone the Speed Force couldn’t stop?

 


	16. Just my echo, my shadow

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the delay! Between school, the holidays, my new job, and Nanowrimo, I'm really busy, so updates probably won't be as frequent as before, but I WILL FINISH THIS STORY IF IT KILLS ME!!!!
> 
> (Just a warning--it isn't going to be as long as Being Time. Hopefully I'll be done though by January)

            It was days before Mick let Barry out of the house without him. Under any other circumstances, it would’ve been nice. He woke up every day to breakfast in bed and a kiss from his husband, curled up with him all morning, spent the afternoon out on the beautiful porch swing he’d built with his bare hands with either a book or laying his head on Mick’s shoulder, and finally, spending the evening watching movies into the late night.

            After over a week though, the comfort of it was confining. He knew that Mick was worried about him—Barry didn’t remember much about the journey out of the Speed Force after Bare opened the portal, but according to Mick, he’d been in state. Not to mention the wraith that followed them out that Cisco had to put down.

            All in all, Barry and Wally had been lucky.

            Now, though, Barry was ready to start planning for Savitar. The man was going to kill him in a little over two months, along with all of the Legends, and, for some reason, kidnap Mick. Barry grabbed a pen and notebook off the bedside table.

            SAVITAR, he wrote at the top. REAL NAME: MALCOLM THAWNE. SON OF JAY GARRICK.

            Barry paused. Hadn’t Jay told him that his mother’s doppelganger’s name was Thompson? So, if she hadn’t raised him, who was Thawne?

            He underlined the last name twice and added a question mark.

            Also, Jay locked him in the Speed Force, but Mick told him that Jay said that he hadn’t known who Malcolm was then.

            ADOPTED?

            Barry frowned. The list was leaving him with more questions than answers.

            WHY DOES MALCOLM HATE ME? WHY DOES HE WANT MICK? HOW DO THE LEGENDS FIT IN TO EVERYTHING?

            He thought back to what Mick told him about his conversation with the Speed Force.

            MALCOLM THAWNE=NO LOVE

            2024????

            There was something about Savitar being unloved that struck him. Mick said that he didn’t have a West family or a Mick Rory. Was it jealousy? Could that really be all that this melted down to?

            He sat back with a sigh, remembering the last thing Bare told him before he opened the portal.

            _“Barry, you need to listen!” He shouted over Barry’s cries to help Jay. “I need you to promise me something—don’t tell Mick about the future! Mick can’t know that you’re going to die. It’s a decision I made, and it was the wrong one then. Now, though, Mick will do anything to keep you alive, even if it means sacrificing himself. Don’t tell him!”_

            He shook his head and read over the list.

SAVITAR

REAL NAME: MALCOLM THAWNE. SON OF JAY GARRICK.

ADOPTED?

WHY DOES MALCOLM HATE ME?

WHY DOES HE WANT MICK?

HOW DO THE LEGENDS FIT IN TO EVERYTHING?

MALCOLM THAWNE=NO LOVE

            2024????

            He threw the notepad back on the side table. None of this helped. All he was doing was listing things they didn’t know. He flopped back on the bed with a groan. He needed to get _out_. As quietly as he could, he climbed out of bed and to his feet. Mick was out in his workshop, had been for the past two hours.

            He ripped one of the pages out of his notepad and sketched a short note:

           

_Dear Mick,_

_Don’t worry. I just ran by Joe’s to check on Wally. I’ll be home in a few hours. I’ll bring home some pizza on the way back for dinner._

_Love you,_

_Barry_

He zipped downstairs and pinned the note to the fridge, before running out the door and towards his childhood home. Joe’s car was gone, and Iris was supposed to be at work, meaning that Wally should’ve been the only one home. Good. They needed to talk—about the future, about the message from the Speed Force, about everything.

            He knocked on the door. There was a loud groan on the other side, followed by the padding of bare feet across the floor. When the door swung open, though, it was Leonard frowning back at him.

            “Barry? I thought Mick was keeping you in the house for another couple of days.”

            Barry raised an eyebrow. “I thought the Legends left a week ago. What are you still doing in town?”

            Leonard shrugged. “Figured I was needed here. The Legends are coming back in a couple weeks to pick me up, but they needed to find Rip, and…” He trailed off, like he was about to tell some big secret. Barry grinned.

            “And you didn’t want to leave Wally behind after what just happened?”

            He rolled his eyes. “You know, I’m worried about the psychopath kidnapping Mick, too. Just in case you’ve forgotten he’s my best friend and partner.”

            He stepped to the side to let Barry in. Wally was laying, asleep, on the couch, a blanket haphazardly thrown back off one end, but carefully tucked over his shoulders on the other. Barry tried not to laugh at the image of Leonard Snart _cuddling_ , instead plopping down in the armchair next to the fireplace.

            “So, Barry,” Leonard drawled, taking a seat on the couch arm closest to Wally’s head, “what brings you here?”

            Barry pursed his lips. He didn’t want Leonard to know their plan. What if he told Mick? Of course, he already knew about the future, presumably before any of the rest of them, and hadn’t said anything. And why was that?

            “It’s…it’s about the future. The one that Wally saw,” he explained. “I wanted to talk to him about it, tell him that I may have found a clue to stopping it.”

            Leonard’s eyebrows shot up. “Really? Because let me tell you something I’ve learned as a Legend—changing the future ain’t easy, and someone is going to pay the price, even if it isn’t you.”

            Barry nodded. He knew about changing time better than anyone. “But, what if there was a way we could stop Savitar _before_ we got to Infantino Street? Isn’t that worth a chance?”

            Leonard glanced down at Wally, obviously considering his words. “I’m listening…”

            Barry swallowed hard. “The Speed Force visited Mick a few days ago. They told him that someone in 2024 knows how to stop Savitar. If I can run there, maybe we can stop him before he even becomes an issue.”

            “And what about Wallace?” Leonard asked. “You’ll leave him here, when all of this is weighing on his shoulders?”

            “Someone needs to defend the city. What if Savitar decides to attack while I’m gone?”

            Leonard rolled his eyes. “Kid, you have me, Mick, Cisco, Caitlin, and the entire CCPD. And, if it makes you feel better, I can get the Rogues to keep an eye on things.”

            Barry sighed. He knew Leonard was right, but what if Malcolm chose that moment to go after Mick? “I don’t want Mick anywhere near Malcolm Thawne. There’s something about him…something…”

            “Twisted,” Leonard finished for him. “I saw it, too.”

            Barry shook his head. “No, Leonard. I _felt_ it. I _know_ that possessiveness, the violent urges he has. I felt them when Zoom took Mick. And again, when I found out that my doppelganger is obsessed with my husband. I couldn’t tell you what I would do for Mick, and thinking about what Malcolm Thawne would do scares the shit out of me.”

            “Then we need to stop him.”

            They both turned their attention to Wally, now awake and staring up at him from his lounged position on the sofa. There was a determination in his eye that Barry mirrored in his heart.

            “What’s the plan?”


End file.
